Introduction:

Exposure to violence affects mental health; however, there are few studies on this phenomenon in university students.

Objective:

To establish the association between exposure to violence and suicidal ideation in university students from Santa Marta, Colombia.

Methodology:

A quantitative, analytical, and cross-sectional study was carried out involving 1,647 students between 16 and 24 years old (M=20.58, SD=1.715), who completed the violence exposure Scale (α =0.87) and the Roberts suicidal ideation scale (α =0.74).

Results:

The adjusted logistic regression model indicated that direct exposure to violence at school (OR=2.02; 95% CI=1.28-3.16) and home (OR=1.53; 95% CI=1.02 -2.29), and indirect exposure at school (OR=1.34; CI95%= 1.06-1.70) and home (OR=1.91; CI95%=1.27-2.88), increased suicidal ideation.

Conclusion:

Direct and indirect exposure to violence at school and at home are risk factors for suicidal ideation in university students.