Cross-sectional study of attitudes about suicide among psychiatrists in Shanghai

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yumei Jiao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Michael Phillips, Emory University; Yourong Sheng, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Guojun Wu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Xianyun Li, Beijing Huilongguan Hosp; Wei Xiong, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ; Liwei Wang, Fudan University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-03-25
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 Jiao et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-87
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Psychiatry
• ISSN: 1471-244X
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 87
• End Page: 87
• Grant/Funding Information: The funders did not play any role in the design, conduct, analysis or write-up of the study.; This study was sponsored by the Shanghai Mental Health Center Pilot Study Fund (Project Number: 2011-YJ-08) and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, No. 81371502).
• Keywords: PEOPLE; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry; MALPRACTICE; NURSES; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; China; Suicide; Attitudes; PSYCHIATRY, SCI; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Mental Health; Psychology, Social

Abstract

Background Attitudes and knowledge about suicide may influence psychiatrists’ management of suicidal patients but there has been little research about this issue in China. Methods We used the Scale of Public Attitudes about Suicide (SPAS) – a 47-item scale developed and validated in China – to assess knowledge about suicide and seven specific attitudes about suicide in a sample of 187 psychiatrists from six psychiatric hospitals in Shanghai. The results were compared to those of 548 urban community members (assessed in a previous study). Results Compared to urban community members, psychiatrists were more likely to believe that suicide can be prevented and that suicide is an important social problem but they had more stigmatizing beliefs about suicidal individuals and felt less empathy for them. The belief that suicide can be prevented was more common among female psychiatrists than male psychiatrists but male psychiatrists felt more empathy for suicidal individuals. Only 37% of the psychiatrists correctly agreed that talking about suicide-related issues with an individual would not precipitate suicidal behavior and only 41% correctly agreed that those who state that they intend to kill themselves may actually do so. Conclusions Many psychiatrists in Shanghai harbor negative attitudes about suicidal individuals and are concerned that directly addressing the issue with patients will increase the risk of suicide. Demographic factors, educational status and work experience are associated with psychiatrists’ attitudes about suicide and, thus, need to be considered when training psychiatrists about suicide prevention.