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Stigma, Attitudes, and Help‐Seeking Intentions for Psychological Problems in Relation to Regional Suicide Rates
Author(s) -
Reynders Alexandre,
Kerkhof Ad J. F. M.,
Molenberghs Geert,
Van Audenhove Chantal
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/sltb.12179
Subject(s) - stigma (botany) , psychology , relation (database) , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , computer science , database
In this ecological study, we investigated whether help‐seeking related to stigma, intentions, and attitudes toward suicide are associated with the suicide rates of 20 regions within the Netherlands and Belgium. Significant associations were found between regional suicide rates and the intention to seek informal help (β = −1.47, p = .001), self‐stigma (β = 1.33, p = .038), and shame (β = .71, p = .030). The association between self‐stigma and suicide rate was mediated by intentions to seek informal help. These results suggest that to promote suicide prevention at the level of the regional population, stigma, shame, and intentions to seek help should be targeted in the public domain.