Nursing students' attitude toward suicide prevention

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Nursing Education
• Public Health

Background:

• Effective suicide prevention relies on healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and skills in assessing and managing suicide risk.
• Understanding the attitudes of nursing students is crucial for developing targeted suicide prevention training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the attitudes of nursing students towards suicide prevention.
• To identify potential gaps in knowledge and training among nursing students regarding suicide.
• To inform the development of enhanced educational strategies for suicide prevention in nursing curricula.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 308 nursing students from two institutions.
• The Attitude Toward Suicide Prevention Scale was administered to measure student attitudes.
• Data were collected through a total enumeration method.

Main Results:

• The majority of participants were single females, aged 20, from urban areas, pursuing BSc Nursing.
• A minority of students had prior exposure to suicide prevention programs or workshops.
• Approximately half of the nursing students demonstrated a positive attitude towards working with suicidal patients.
• Half of the students identified unemployment and poverty as primary causes of suicide, expressing hopelessness and a belief that suicidal individuals often conceal their plans.

Conclusions:

• Only about half of the nursing students exhibited a positive attitude towards engaging with suicidal patients.
• There is a significant need for increased educational and training initiatives focused on suicide prevention for nursing students.
• Enhanced training will better equip future healthcare professionals to manage suicidal patients and improve suicide prevention outcomes.