Citation

Chamberlain PN, Goldney RD, Taylor AW, Eckert KA. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2012; 42(5): 525-540.

Affiliation

Peter Chamberlain, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Robert Goldney, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Anne Taylor and Kerena Eckert, Population Research and Outcome Studies, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.00109.x

PMID

22934893

Abstract

Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders that aid their recognition, management, or prevention and is considered to be an important determinant of help-seeking. This has relevance in suicide prevention, as depression, the clinical condition most frequently associated with suicidality, has been the target of community and professional education programs designed to enhance mental health literacy. In this study, whether such programs have influenced help-seeking attitudes and behavior in those who are depressed and suicidal was considered. The results indicate that despite intensive community education programs over the last two decades, there has been little change in those who are depressed and suicidal in terms of their attitudes toward treatment seeking and, more importantly, their treatment-seeking behavior. These results draw into question the value of current community education programs for those most vulnerable to suicidal behavior.

Language: en