Literacy and Attitude Toward Suicide Among Doctors and Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Introduction Globally, suicide remains a major public health problem and is the second most common cause of death in the 15-45 years age group. Awareness about suicide and the attitude of healthcare professionals regarding suicide are crucial factors determining the care for suicidal behaviors. The present study aimed to compare suicide literacy and attitude toward suicide between doctors and nurses and to explore the association between suicide literacy and attitude toward suicide. Methods A cross-sectional comparison study was conducted between doctors and nurses in a tertiary healthcare center in southern India. The demographic characteristics and work and suicide care experience were recorded using a semi-structured proforma. Literacy of Suicide Scale - Short Form (LOSS-SF) and Attitude Toward Suicide Questionnaire (ATTS) were used to assess the awareness about suicidal behaviors and attitudes toward suicide, respectively. Appropriate statistical tests were used to compare the outcome measures between doctors and nurses with the statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results A total of 600 healthcare professionals (doctors (n=300) and nurses (n=300)) were included. The doctors were older, had longer work experience, and demonstrated better suicide literacy, yet harbored more negative attitudes toward suicide than nurses. Among doctors, increasing levels of suicide literacy were negatively correlated with positive attitudes toward suicide. Among nurses, increasing age was negatively correlated with healthy attitudes toward suicide. Conclusion Doctors had better awareness of suicidal behaviors yet displayed negative attitudes toward people with suicidal behaviors. Despite having less suicide awareness, nurses exhibited positive attitudes toward suicide. Suicide literacy and attitudes toward suicide can have complex relationships mediated by multiple factors.