Citation

Hom MA, Stanley IH, Duffy ME, Davis L, Joiner TE. Crisis 2019; 40(4): 265-272.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000564

PMID

30474408

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Relatively little is known regarding the relationship between attitudes toward suicide, suicide attempt (SA) history, and future suicidal behaviors. AIMS: Utilizing a sample of firefighters, this study compared attitudes toward suicide between individuals with/without a career SA history and evaluated whether certain attitudes toward suicide are associated with a greater self-reported likelihood of making a future SA.

METHOD: US firefighters (N = 818) completed self-report measures. One-way ANOVAs and linear regression analyses were utilized to address study aims.

RESULTS: Firefighters with a career SA reported significantly greater normalization/glorification of suicide - yet lower attributions of suicide to isolation/depression - than those without this history. More stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide and greater normalization/glorification of suicide were each significantly associated with greater self-reported future SA likelihood. LIMITATIONS: Data were cross-sectional and findings may not be generalizable.

CONCLUSION: Firefighters who have made an SA during their firefighting careers may normalize and glorify suicide more than those who have not. These attitudes may be associated with greater self-perceived risk for future SAs. Research is needed to replicate findings and evaluate strategies for targeting potentially harmful beliefs about suicide among SA survivors.

Language: en

Keywords

attitudes; firefighters; stigma; suicide; suicide attempt