Prevalence and associated factors of high-risk suicidal ideation among police officers in a district in Sabah, Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

Suicidal ideation is a critical precursor to suicide and an important focus for early prevention. Police officers are frequently exposed to sustained operational and organisational stressors that may increase vulnerability to suicidal ideation. Although police suicide has attracted growing attention in Malaysia, empirical data on high-risk suicidal ideation and associated factors among Malaysian police personnel remain limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of high-risk suicidal ideation and its associated factors among police officers in a district in Sabah.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 528 active-duty police officers from a district police headquarters and affiliated units in Sabah. Participants completed validated self-administered questionnaires assessing suicidal ideation (RSIS), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), perceived stress (PSS-10), burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory), police stress (Police Stress Questionnaire), resilience (Brief Resilience Scale), relationship quality (Relationship Dynamics Scale), substance use risk (ASSIST-Lite), and financial well-being (FWS), together with sociodemographic information. High-risk suicidal ideation was defined using the RSIS high-risk category. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate prevalence, and multiple logistic regression was used to examine associated factors.

The prevalence of high-risk suicidal ideation was 10.8% (57/528; 95% CI: 8.4–13.7). Sedative use risk (AOR = 5.00; 95% CI: 1.90–13.05) and depression severity (AOR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.11–1.25) were associated with higher odds of high-risk suicidal ideation. Higher financial well-being (AOR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96–0.99) and greater resilience (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15–0.86) were associated with lower odds of high-risk suicidal ideation.

Approximately one in ten police officers in this district met the threshold for high-risk suicidal ideation. These findings highlight the importance of early identification and targeted support in policing settings, particularly addressing depressive symptoms, sedative use risk, financial well-being, and resilience. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify temporal relationships.