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Attitudes Toward Suicide Prevention in Front‐Line Health Staff
Author(s) -
Herron Jane,
Ticehurst Henry,
Appleby Louis,
Perry Amanda,
Cordingley Lis
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1521/suli.31.3.342.24252
Subject(s) - front line , mental health , suicide prevention , medicine , nursing , occupational safety and health , psychiatry , consistency (knowledge bases) , psychology , poison control , family medicine , medical emergency , pathology , political science , law , geometry , mathematics
A questionnaire assessing attitudes toward suicide prevention was constructed and shown to have satisfactory reliability and internal consistency. The determinants and distribution of these attitudes were investigated in four groups of health professionals who are in contact with suicidal patients: general practitioners, accident and emergency nurses, psychiatrists in training, and community psychiatric nurses. Attitudes toward suicide prevention were shown to differ significantly between professional groups. More positive attitudes were associated with mental health professionals, working in the community, and previous training in suicide risk assessment. Negative attitudes should be assessed and targeted in training designed to improve the management of suicide risk.