The Impact of Knowledge of Suicide Prevention and Work Experience among Clinical Staff on Attitudes towards Working with Suicidal Patients and Suicide Prevention

Abstract

Suicide-preventive training has shown to influence attitudes. This study aimed at investigating what impact other factors than knowledge might have on attitudes towards work with suicidal patients and suicide prevention. In 2007, 500 health-care staff working in a psychiatric clinic in Stockholm received a questionnaire with items concerning work with suicidal patients to which 358 (71.6%) responded. A set of attitude items were tested using structural equation modelling (LISREL). Three models were found to be satisfactory valid and reliable: Job clarity, Job confidence and Attitudes towards prevention. These were then used in regression analyses as dependent variables with predictors such as experience of work with suicidal patients, perceived sufficient training, age and gender. Perceived sufficient training was consistently the most important predictor for all three attitude concepts (p < 0.01, β = 0.559 for Job clarity; p < 0.01, β = 0.53 for Job confidence; p < 0.01, β = 0.191 for Attitudes towards prevention). Age was another significant predictor for Job clarity (p < 0.05, β = 0.134), as was experience of patient suicide for Job confidence (p < 0.05, β = 0.137). It is concluded that providing suicide preventive education is likely to improve attitudes towards the prevention of suicide, clarity and confidence regarding their role in the care for suicidal patients. These improvements may contribute to the prevention of suicide in health care settings.

Atitudes relacionadas ao suicídio entre graduandos de enfermagem e fatores associados

“…Education of health professionals needs to includes skills related to self-knowledge, empathy, understanding, communication, attitudes and knowledge about suicidal behavior, (13,17) the possibility of suicide prevention, and the clarification of the role of nursing in the care of the suicidal patient. (18) Negative, moralistic, or condemnatory attitudes toward suicidal behavior are among the many factors that interfere with the quality of care for a person at risk for suicide. However, the idea that suicide is reprehensible and censurable may favor more prescriptive approaches.…”

Attitudes towards suicidal behaviour and associated factors among nursing professionals: A quantitative study

“…Healthcare workers’ attitudes towards suicide may be associated with training, professional category, clinical and personal experiences, workplace, gender, religious beliefs and the working context. Professional training has been found to have a strong and positive association with favourable attitudes (Botega et al., , ; Bott, de Araujo, Costa, & Machado, ; Kishi et al., ; Moraes, Magrini, Zanetti, dos Santos, & Vedana, ; Norheim, Grimholt, Loskutova, & Ekeberg, ; Ramberg, Di Lucca, & Hadlaczky, ; da Silva Cais, da Silveira, Stefanello, & Botega, ). However, there are little available data regarding the subject, and the relationships between attitudes towards suicide and many factors remain unclear (Karman et al., ; Kelly et al., ; McCarthy & Gijbels, ; Santos et al., ).…”

The meaning of suicidal behaviour from the perspective of senior nursing undergraduate students

“…; Ramberg et al . ). Another study suggested that a lower self‐perception of professional competence and negative feelings towards people with suicidal behaviour seem to reinforce each other (both being associated with suicide training).…”