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Undergraduate education majors' knowledge about suicide
1Teacher Development and Educational Studies Department, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA. mmacdona@oakland.edu
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|December 11, 2007
Summary
Undergraduate education majors show low suicide knowledge overall, but higher awareness on key prevention topics. Personal experience with suicide may correlate with increased knowledge, suggesting targeted training needs.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Suicide prevention education is crucial for future educators.
- Understanding current knowledge gaps is essential for curriculum development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess undergraduate education majors' suicide knowledge.
- To identify training needs in suicide prevention.
- To test if social context exposure to suicide impacts knowledge.
Main Methods:
- 71 undergraduate education students completed the Expanded Revised Facts on Suicide Quiz.
- Knowledge levels were analyzed for general, youth, elderly, and prevention-specific items.
Main Results:
- Overall suicide knowledge was low, particularly regarding youth and elderly suicide.
- Knowledge was higher on items critical for suicide prevention.
- Students who knew a suicide attempter demonstrated higher knowledge, partially supporting the hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Education majors require enhanced suicide prevention training.
- Personal exposure to suicide may positively influence knowledge acquisition.
- Curricula should address specific knowledge deficits and leverage lived experiences.
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