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Alex's Vignette.
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Few studies have considered how suicide is perceived and impacted by stigma across cultures. A sample of 478 participants from Australia and Brazil was used to investigate cross-cultural perceptions of suicide and the impact of stigma on the recognition of suicide risk in others. The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide framed a mixed meth...
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Context 1
... Alex's Vignette. This vignette was created to measure perception of suicide risk according to known risk factors for suicide [38][39][40][41], as shown in Fig. 1. 2) Follow-up Questions. These questions were designed to further explore participants' perception of Alex based on the vignette. There were three follow-up questions: (I) "What do you think will happen next with Alex?"; (II) "What would you do and say if Alex was someone you knew?"; and (III) "Would you like to make any other comment ...
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Citations
... Studies such as those by Oexle et al. (2018Oexle et al. ( , 2017 have found that self-stigma mediates in this relationship in the short and long term. Literacy about suicide has been identified as a factor that could not only mitigate the effects of stigma (Peel, Buckby, and McBain 2017;Takahashi et al. 2023) but also increase help-seeking behaviors (Calear, Batterham, and Christensen 2014;Mok et al. 2021). The concept refers to public knowledge about this problem (i.e., causes, risk factors) (Jorm 2000) and is closely related to educational level, gender, age, previous exposures to close experiences, and cultural context, among others (Batterham, Calear, and Christensen 2013a). ...
Background
One of the obstacles to seeking help for suicide is its social stigma. The literature suggests that suicide knowledge could impact this stigma. The present study aims to examine levels and predictors of suicide stigma and suicide literacy among Spanish‐speaking individuals from Spain and Latin America.
Method
A total of 678 adults completed an online survey conducted from December 2021 to May 2022. The survey assessed sociodemographic and clinical variables, including the Literacy of Suicide Scale (LOSS‐SF) and Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS‐SF).
Results
Results showed the presence of stigmatization and a moderate level of suicide literacy. Latin Americans presented significantly more stigmatizing attitudes and lower levels of suicide literacy than Spaniards. Older age and stronger religious/spiritual beliefs were correlated with lower suicide literacy. Suicide stigma was regressed on lower suicide literacy, gender (men), stronger religious/spiritual beliefs, and lacking knowledge about how to find help. Furthermore, the region was significantly associated with the suicide glorification subscale, reporting Latin Americans' greater glorification.
Conclusions
By examining these factors, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the attitudes and beliefs toward suicide. This understanding is crucial, as it may inform the development of effective interventions and prevention strategies that are culturally sensitive and tailored to diverse populations.
... Multi-levels interventions may be helpful in rural communities to counter the stigma that is often associated with seeking mental health services (Peel et al., 2017). Specifically, healthcare professionals can help reduce the stigma of mental illness by implementing mental health awareness campaigns and educational programs. ...
... Specifically, healthcare professionals can help reduce the stigma of mental illness by implementing mental health awareness campaigns and educational programs. Increasing mental health literacy has also been reported to reduce stigma related to suicidal behaviors (Peel et al., 2017). Public mental health awareness campaigns and/or educational training programs may strengthen the safety net for older adults in rural areas by promoting community values, fostering community ties, educating older adults and their family members about appropriate resources, and training volunteers including religious leaders, caregivers, and family members who can help challenge social stigma against help-seeking services (Kennedy et al., 2018;Li et al., 2016;B.-P. ...
... Public mental health awareness campaigns and/or educational training programs may strengthen the safety net for older adults in rural areas by promoting community values, fostering community ties, educating older adults and their family members about appropriate resources, and training volunteers including religious leaders, caregivers, and family members who can help challenge social stigma against help-seeking services (Kennedy et al., 2018;Li et al., 2016;B.-P. Liu et al., 2018;Menon et al., 2018;Peel et al., 2017;Yoon & Cummings, 2019). ...
Suicide among older adults in rural areas is widespread. However, research on this issue is rare, and studies focusing on protective factors against suicidal behavior among this population are even scarcer. Based on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this systematic literature review examined protective factors against suicidal behavior among community-dwelling older adults in rural areas. The results found that there were individual-, family-, and community-level protective factors against suicidal behavior. Multi-level interventions are needed to reduce and prevent suicidal behavior among older adults in rural areas. Cultural differences should also be considered.
... Stigmatization and lack of knowledge about mental health problems can hinder the development of prevention and intervention strategies. Conversely, positive attitudes toward help-seeking are related to increased mental health literacy and reduced stigma levels (Peel et al., 2017). ...
How members of the public, as well as members of the health service, think and act toward people with disabilities can greatly impact the life experiences of such individuals. This chapter seeks to examine how those with mental health problems experience stigmatizing attitudes in their lives, specifically within the context of the Middle East. There are specific cultural issues in the Middle East that lead to an increased experience of stigma related to stigmatizing beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
... There are many gaps in our understanding of the impact of culture on suicide stigma, despite broad evidence indicating higher stigma among non-Anglo cultures [16]. Peel et al. [17] identified cultural variations in conceptualisations of suicide with significant differences in willingness to acknowledge it as a concern in some cultures. For example, studies conducted in North America have identified a higher suicide stigma in their Indigenous people compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts [18]. ...
The risk of suicidal behaviour in Australia varies by age, sex, sexual preference and Indigenous status. Suicide stigma is known to affect suicide rates and help-seeking for suicidal crises. The aim of this study was to investigate the sociodemographic correlates of suicide stigma to assist in prevention efforts. We surveyed community members and individuals who had attended specific emergency departments for suicidal crisis. The respondents were part of a large-scale suicide prevention trial in New South Wales, Australia. The data collected included demographic characteristics, measures of help-seeking and suicide stigma. The linear regression analyses conducted sought to identify the factors associated with suicide stigma. The 5426 participants were predominantly female (71.4%) with a mean (SD) age of 41.7 (14.8) years, and 3.9% were Indigenous. Around one-third of participants reported a previous suicide attempt (n = 1690, 31.5%) with two-thirds (n = 3545, 65.3%) seeking help for suicidal crisis in the past year. Higher stigma scores were associated with Indigenous status (β 0.123, 95%CI 0.074–0.172), male sex (β 0.527, 95%CI 0.375–0.626) and regional residence (β 0.079, 95%CI 0.015–0.143). Lower stigma scores were associated with younger age (β −0.002, 95%CI −0.004–−0.001), mental illness (β −0.095, 95%CI −0.139 to −0.050), male bisexuality (β −0.202, 95%CI −0.351 to −0.052) and males who glorified suicide (β −0.075, 95%CI −0.119 to −0.031). These results suggested that suicide stigma differed across the community, varying significantly by sex, sexual orientation and Indigenous status. Targeted educational programs to address suicide stigma could assist in suicide prevention efforts.
... Therefore, stigma and lack of knowledge on suicide may limit the development and implementation of effective suicide prevention strategies and healthcare interventions at the individual and community levels (Niederkrotenthaler et al., 2014). The evidence shows that increasing mental health literacy and lowering stigma towards suicidal persons are correlated with more positive attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help for mental health problems (Peel et al., 2017). ...
To date, very little is known about the current situation of suicide and its effects on psychological help-seeking attitudes in Arab countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the levels of suicide literacy and suicide stigma and their relationships with attitudes towards seeking psychological help among a sample of Arab youth in Jordan. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online self-report survey to collect data. This study included a total of 707 Arab youth aged 16–24 years (mean = 18.60, SD = 1.95). Most of the participants were male (n = 398, 56.3%). The participants were found to have very low suicide literacy levels, relatively high suicide stigma levels, and negative attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Family members, relatives, and friends were the most frequently reported sources of psychological help, while mental healthcare professionals were the least frequently reported sources. A significant negative correlation was found between attitudes towards seeking psychological help and both stigmatization and glorification subscales of suicide stigma. While a significant positive correlation was found between attitudes towards seeking psychological help and suicide literacy. The predictors of attitudes towards seeking psychological help were gender, suicide literacy, and glorification of suicide stigma among Arab youth. The results of this study confirm the presence of an urgent need for designing and implementing educational programs and awareness campaigns on suicide and mental health among youth in schools and universities. Such interventions may increase knowledge, decrease stigma, change psychological help-seeking attitudes, and hence improve the use of mental health services and may prevent suicide among this age group.
... A widely used measure is the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF; Batterham, Calear, & Christensen, 2013). Psychometric properties of the SOSS-SF have been established in English-, Chinese-, and Portuguese-speaking contexts (Batterham et al., 2013;Han et al., 2017;Peel, Buckby & McBain, 2018;Williams, Cero, Gauthier, & Witte, 2018). No studies to date have examined the measure's psychometric properties with Spanish-speaking populations (Williams et al., 2018). ...
Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among Spanish-speaking individuals. Suicide stigma can be a risk factor for suicide. A widely used measure is the Stigma of Suicide Scale-Short Form (SOSS-SF; Batterham, Calear, & Christensen, 2013). Although the SOSS-SF has established psychometric properties and factor structure in other languages and cultural contexts, no evidence is available from Spanish-speaking populations. Aim: This study aims to validate a Spanish translation of the SOSS-SF among a sample of Spanish-speaking healthcare students (N = 277). Method: We implemented a cross-sectional design with quantitative techniques. Results: Following a structural equation modeling approach, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model proposed by Batterham and colleagues (2013). Limitations: The study was limited by the small sample size and recruitment by availability. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the Spanish version of the SOSS-SF is a valid and reliable tool with which to examine suicide stigma among Spanish-speaking populations.
... In accordance, Gibb, Fergusson, and Horwood (2011) concluded that relationship breakdowns are associated with increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal behaviour, as well as overall risk of mental health difficulties. Similarly, Peel, Buckby, and McBain (2017) identified intrapersonal and interpersonal relationship difficulties as significant factors contributing to perceived suicide risk. Further, a recent meta-analysis conducted by Mirsu-Paun and Oliver (2017) provides evidence that both negative relationship quality and relationship stressors are strongly associated with poor mental health outcomes. ...
Clients in therapy are typically diagnosed with mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression. However, recent statistics show that romantic relationship difficulties are one of the most common reasons for people to seek counselling in the first place. A series of 15 semi-structured interviews with psychologists around Australia revealed that romantic relationship difficulties are under-recognised in the counselling context and sometimes diagnosed and treated as anxiety or depression. Interviews also revealed that most psychologists prefer to use a nonevidenced-based approach in relationship counselling. Consequently, there is a major gap in the literature regarding the effect of romantic relationship breakdown on the mental health of individuals. Further, there are few evidence-based interventions for individual and couples experiencing romantic relationship difficulties. Therefore, it is important that psychologists explore the core issues the client is experiencing that trigger presentation for therapy prior to diagnosis.
... Australian efforts to measure suicide stigma have generally been applied to a relatively limited range of community samples, such as undergraduate university students and Facebook respondents [31,32]. Only recently has this focus begun to extend to broader community samples [33]. To date, there has been minimal effort to measure how the rural and farming context may influence the experience of and response to suicide stigma, apart from a small study focusing on rural young people [34]. ...
... The effect of knowledge about suicide on stigma Evidence suggests that increasing mental health literacy is associated with a reduction in stigma associated with mental health or suicide [33,35]. Increasing mental health literacy reportedly supports help seeking behaviour, with increased understanding and recognition of signs and symptoms resulting in improved attitudes toward seeking support [36]. ...
... An increasing body of research-in other population groups and occupations-has identified concomitant high literacy levels and high levels of stigma [63,64]. Building suicide literacy-while often considered best practice [33]-may, therefore, not be an effective means of reducing suicide stigma, particularly in populations where high levels of literacy are already evident. ...
Background:
In Australia, farming populations have been identified as having higher rates of suicide, in comparison to metropolitan, rural and regional communities. The reasons for this are unclear although stigma is considered a risk factor. This study was designed to understand the role of suicide stigma and suicide literacy and the relationship between these.
Methods:
A mixed-methods online intervention was developed. This paper reports on baseline quantitative data (suicide stigma, suicide literacy and suicide effect) collected from male and female rural Australian participants (N = 536) with an experience of suicide.
Results:
When compared with previous Australian community samples, our sample demonstrated higher levels of stigma and higher levels of suicide literacy. Males were more likely to have considered suicide than females. Females were more likely than males to report a devastating and ongoing effect of suicide bereavement, but less likely than a previous Australian community sample.
Conclusion:
Results of this study reiterate the need for improved understanding of the risk factors and experience of suicide within the context of life and work in rural Australian farming communities and how 'best practice' can be adapted to improve stigma reduction and suicide prevention efforts.
Trial registration:
This research project was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ( ACTRN12616000289415 ) on 7th March, 2016.
... However, despite this, research has yet to address the relationship between these factors and suicide stigma. This is particularly troublesome as suicide stigma can worsen the ability to recognize SIA in others, which is a vital skill for suicide prevention efforts in clinical interactions [24]. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of stigmatizing attitudes towards suicide in a sample of medical students in Puerto Rico. ...
Suicide is a global public health issue and the 10th leading cause of death, regardless of age, in the U.S. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens with one of the highest rates of suicide ideation and attempts (SIA) among all Latino subgroups. Research has found that stigma is a risk factor for SIA. Medical students are an important group to target as they engage in routine clinical interactions with potential suicide victims, playing an important role in suicide prevention efforts. However, these efforts may be hampered by suicide stigma. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of suicide stigma in a sample of medical students in Puerto Rico. We implement an exploratory cross-sectional design using quantitative techniques. A total of 123 medical students participate in the study. Bivariate analyses suggest that gender is significantly correlated to suicide stigma (p < 0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis suggests that suicide literacy (β = −0.196, p < 0.05) and emotional reaction to suicide (β = 0.212, p < 0.05) predict suicide stigma. Although preliminary, these findings echo previous research regarding the importance of literacy and emotional reaction in the stigmatization process. Future research may develop intervention strategies aimed at reducing suicide stigma among medical students.
Introduction
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Owing to poor suicide literacy, people are not aware of the consequences of the suicide stigma, which may affect individuals. This study aimed to examine the status of suicide stigma and literacy among young adults in Bangladesh.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 616 male subjects and female subjects residing in Bangladesh aged between 18 and 35 years who were invited to complete an online survey. Suicide literacy and suicide stigma among the respondents were assessed by using the validated Literacy of Suicide Scale and Stigma of Suicide Scale, respectively. Other independent variables that have been found to affect suicide stigma or literacy were included in this study based on prior research. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between the study's main quantitative variables. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess factors affecting suicide stigma and suicide literacy, respectively, after controlling for covariates.
Results
The mean literacy score was 3.86. The participants' mean scores in the stigma, isolation, and glorification subscale were 25.15, 14.48, and 9.04, respectively. Suicide literacy was negatively associated with stigmatizing attitudes (p = 0.005). Male subjects, unmarried/divorced/widowed, less educated (below HSC), smokers, less exposure to suicide, and respondents with chronic mental illness had lower suicide literacy and more stigmatizing attitudes.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that addressing suicide literacy and stigma by developing and executing awareness programs on suicide and mental health among young adults may increase knowledge, decrease stigma, and hence prevent suicide among this population.
