Publication: Attitude Towards Suicide among Caregivers of Patients Admitted with Suicide Attempt to a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nepal Medical Association
Abstract
Abstract:
Introduction: Understanding the attitude of caregivers towards suicide attempters could be useful in suicide prevention. The objective of this study was to study attitude towards suicide among caregivers of patients with suicide attempt admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Nepal.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 52 caregivers of patients with suicide attempt who had been admitted to a tertiary care hospital of Nepal after obtaining ethical clearance from Institutional Review Committee (ref. IRC/0797/016). Data were collected through interviews using the Attitude towards Suicide Questionnaire and in-depth interviews conducted on five caregivers using the interview framework developed in the department for the purpose. Data and descriptive analysis were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data. Content analysis was used for qualitative data.
Results: Majority of the caregivers 34 (65.4%) had unfavorable attitude towards suicide. Caregivers reported that mental and chronic physical illness, financial difficulty, working environment, and social factors such as undue pressure and failure to perform the task, difficulty maintaining the relationship, abuse, and neglect could be some of the possible causes of suicide. Caring and understanding attitude of family members, health professionals, and society towards the suicidal individuals providing appropriate training and education to the public would help in reducing the stigma and burden of suicidal patients.
Conclusions: The overall attitude of the caregivers was unfavorable. Interventions targeted towards improving attitude towards suicide could be helpful in suicide prevention.
Description
Prekshya Thapa
Department of Psychiatric Nursing, College of Nursing, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Sami Lama
Department of Psychiatric Nursing, College of Nursing, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Nirmala Pradhan
Department of Psychiatric Nursing, College of Nursing, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0837-7617
Kriti Thapa
Department of Psychiatric Nursing, College of Nursing, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
Rajesh Kumar
Department of Psychiatry, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
Madhur Basnet
Department of Psychiatry, B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9624-0321
Keywords
attitude, caregivers, suicide, Nepal