Citation

Range LM, Alliston JR. Death Stud. 1995; 19(3): 277-282.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481189508252731

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

To determine whether type of illness and length of time since diagnosis influences. reactions to suicide, we had 296 undergraduates read a vignette about Pat, who had been diagnosed as having AIDS or terminal cancer for 1 week, I month, 6 months, or 1 year and then complete the Prejudicial Evaluation Scale and the Social Interaction Scale. Subjects then read that Pat committed suicide and completed the Youth Suicide Scale and the Suicide Semantic Differential Scale. A 2 (illness) × 4 (time since diagnosis) multivariate analysis of variance indicated that Pat received more stigma when the diagnosis was AIDS rather than terminal cancer, regardless of how long ago Pat had been diagnosed. Furthermore, this stigma extended to viewing the family as difficult to sympathize with, but not necessarily blameworthy.

RESULTS suggest that suicide by a person with AIDS is associated with greater stigma than is suicide by a person with another fatal disease, regardless of how hg ago the diagnosis occurred.

Language: en