Citation

Emul M, Uzunoglu Z, Sevinç H, Güzel C, Yılmaz C, Erkut D, Arikan K. Crisis 2011; 32(3): 128-133.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000065

PMID

21616761

Abstract

Background: Interest in studies of stigma toward patients with mental disorders is growing. Research on the attitudes of medical students toward suicide attempters does not exist; although as medical personnel, they will encounter suicide attempters in emergency rooms. Aims: We aimed to investigate the attitudes of preclinical and clinical medical students toward suicide attempters and to compare their attitudes with nonmedical students. Methods: Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires those were searching the attitudes toward suicide attempters. These questionnaires used a social distance scale, skillfulness assessment scale, and dangerousness scale. Results: More than 73% of students had a negative attitude toward "renting a room of their home to a suicide attempter." More than 90% would not want "a suicide attempter to supervise their children for few hours." Significantly more preclinical than clinical students would not want their children to marry a suicide attempter. Conclusions: Social distance, skillfulness, and attitudes concerning the dangerousness of suicide attempters are problematic for medical students and need educational intervention.

Language: en