Attitudes and perception of nursing students towards suicide: An exploratory survey

Background: Patients with suicide attempts usually present to the emergency department of hospitals, and the attitude of nursing staff and medical personnel plays a major role in their recovery. There is a negative perception and stigma associated with suicide among the public and hospital staff. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and perceptions toward suicide and suicide attempters among 2nd and 3rd year nursing students at a government hospital in Mumbai, India. Methodology: One hundred and eighty-eight nursing students studying in the 2nd and 3rd year of their courses were administered the suicide stigma scale, attitudes to suicide prevention scale and the exposure to suicidal behavior scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Sixty-eight (36%) of respondents agreed that those who attempt/commit suicide/take their life (lose their life to suicide) are pathetic while 35% believed that these persons were shallow and 44% of nursing students reported them to be immoral. Seventy six (40%) agreed that if someone is serious about committing suicide, they do not tell anyone about it. Eighty-nine (47%) of the respondents knew someone who made a suicide attempt and 108 (57%) of the students knew someone who had attempted suicide. Majority of the sample found seeking help from mental health professionals to be useful, important, and empowering. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to generalize the findings of this survey and to determine the methods of incorporating suicide assessment and management as an integral part of the nursing curriculum.