Student Pharmacists’ Attitudes Toward Suicide and the Perceived Role of Community Pharmacists in Suicidal Ideation Assessment

Abstract

Objective. To determine first-year Doctor of Pharmacy students' attitudes toward suicide and perceptions of the role of the pharmacist in assessing patients for suicidal ideation, and whether their previous pharmacy work experience influences these attitudes and perceptions. Methods. An anonymous online survey was administered to first-year student pharmacists at one school of pharmacy in North Carolina. Measures included gender, previous community pharmacy work experience, personal contact with suicide, and score on the Attitudes Toward Suicide (ATTS) scale. Results. Seventy-three student pharmacists (75%) completed the survey. The vast majority (92%) agreed or strongly agreed that suicide was a real disease. Similarly, most students (79%) agreed or strongly agreed that pharmacists have a professional responsibility to assess for suicidal ideation. There was not a significant association between ATTS score and previous community pharmacy work experience nor the perceived pharmacist's role in assessing for suicidal ideation. Additionally, there was no association between ATTS score and personal contact with suicide. Conclusion. First-year student pharmacists, while undecided on their personal attitudes toward suicide, overwhelmingly agreed that suicide is a disease and that pharmacists have an important role in assessing patients for suicidal ideation. Pharmacy schools should implement training programs to prepare student pharmacists to identify suicidal ideation, design interventions to address student pharmacists' personal beliefs that may impact their ability to provide patient care, and provide students with adequate support skills to care for patients experiencing mental health crises.

Training Student Pharmacists in Suicide Awareness and Prevention

“…While coursework on mental health and anti-stigma interventions have increased, a gap in suicide prevention training and research remains. [13][14][15][16] Pharmacists are accessible health care providers and well-positioned to intervene for patients at risk for suicide. Reported barriers include lack of privacy, time, education, and experience to appropriately intervene.…”

Pharmacy students’ perceptions of collaborations, barriers, and attitude towards patient-centred care in persons with mental disorder in south-west Nigeria

“…lack of knowledge and skills for medication counselling to mentally ill persons was a major barrier to the service as perceived by pharmacy students (Aaltonen et al, 2010). Development of skills for building confidence in patients during counselling and interactions with the patients should be given priority in study design for pharmacy students (Mospan and Gillette, 2020).…”

“…This is associated with attitude towards provision of pharmaceutical care to this population (Volmer et al, 2008), and maybe suggestive of the relevance of advanced training in psychiatry and increased exposure of pharmacy students to mental health care, for efficient un-discriminatory patientcentred care to mentally ill patients. It is also essential for pharmacy schools to design interventions aimed at addressing students' perceptions and beliefs that may influence their attitude towards providing pharmaceutical care to persons with mental disorders (Mospan and Gillette, 2020). Some limitations associated with the study include the risk of potential self-reporting bias and a single-institution survey which may limit the generalisation of findings.…”