Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background Emotional distress and suicide-related attitudes are increasingly recognized among graduate students in health sciences. This study examined the associations among suicide literacy, suicide stigma, depression, and emotional distress, among graduate students in Taiwan. Methods In this cross-sectional study, graduate students from a medical and health sciences university in northern Taiwan completed a web-based survey in 2022. Emotional distress, depression, suicide literacy, and suicide stigma were evaluated using validated questionnaires. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results A total of 133 graduate students were included, and 27.1% met the criteria for emotional distress, whereas depression was strongly associated with emotional distress. Gender-stratified analyses showed that depression was associated with emotional distress in both genders, while perceived isolation was additionally associated among female students. Suicide literacy was positively correlated with stigma and isolation. Age-stratified analysis showed that suicide literacy was positively associated with isolation in both age groups, while stigma was associated with isolation and depression was associated with emotional distress; additionally, suicide literacy was associated with stigma among students aged ≧ 25 years, and after adjustment, emotional distress was associated with depression in students aged < 25 years and with both glorification and depression in those aged ≧ 25 years. Conclusions Emotional distress was common among graduate students in health sciences, with differences observed across gender and age groups. These findings have important implications for health professions education. Graduate programs should incorporate mental health promotion, suicide literacy education, and supportive learning environments to facilitate student well-being and professional development.</p>