Citation

Hjelmeland H, Knizek BL, Espeland B, Aarethun V. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 106.

Affiliation

Department of Social Work and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. Heidi.Hjelmeland@svt.ntnu.no.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16964051

Abstract

Attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention are important both in terms of implementation, quality and results of intervention efforts. The purpose of this study was thus to assess and compare attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention in groups of future gate keepers (medical, psychological and nursing students), staff at psychiatric clinics (psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses) and authorities allocating money (politicians). A survey was conducted in various groups in Norway as part of a European multicentre study. The questionnaire mainly consisted of statements scored on a five-point Likert scale; from strongly agree to strongly disagree. A factor analysis was performed resulting in an eleven-factor model. Factor scores were compared between the groups. All groups scored on the negative side, and the politicians even less often than the other groups agreed that suicide is a right. Politicians also more often found suicide to be incomprehensible compared to the other groups. All groups scored on the positive side regarding the possibility of preventing suicide, however, the politicians and the psychiatric staff scored lower than all the student groups. All groups were prepared to help a suicidal person, but surprisingly, the nursing students scored lower than the other groups on this factor.

Language: en