Abstract
The paper critically studied the concept of suicidal thoughts and the factors thought to be responsible for the mental health problem particularly with regard to how it affects students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Issues brought to the fore by the paper as risk factors for development of suicidal thoughts among adolescents in Nigerian tertiary institutions included students’ redundancy due to unresolved prolonged industrial disputes between public institutions and government, substance addiction, identity crisis and role confusion, excessive imitation of Western lifestyles, poor rapport between students and their lecturers, domestic violence, and academic problems such as examination misconduct and low grades. The paper also discussed the implications suicidal thoughts have on students’ academic struggles and personality development. Implications highlighted included higher tendencies for neurotic and psychotic behaviours, loss of interest in studies, withdrawal from academic programmes, academic failure, and increased rate of substance misuse. However, measures highlighted by the paper as suggestions which could be applied to tackle the identified problems were establishment of offices or centers within the vicinities of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, where student-lecturer interpersonal relationships could be monitored and evaluated through conduct of surveys on the emotionality of lecturers in relation to their students; consistent organization of e-workshops in tertiary institutions to groom students on how to evaluate and stabilize their affects themselves, thereby preventing and controlling negative thoughts infesting their mind, putting them at the risk of different mental health issues such as suicidal thoughts, substance misuse, domestic violence, etc; and that government’s full subsidization of education and improvement of curricula be ensured so that students emerge self-reliant on graduation.