Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Social Sciences, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Multidisciplinary, Psychology, MENTAL-ILLNESS STIGMA, SELF-STIGMA, GENERAL-POPULATION, IDEATION, ASSOCIATION, BEHAVIOR, PEOPLE, Adult, Attitude, Belgium, Female, Humans, Intention, Male, Mental Disorders, Netherlands, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Self Concept, Shame, Stereotyping, Suicide, Surveys and Questionnaires, Suicide Prevention, 1701 Psychology, 4203 Health services and systems, 5203 Clinical and health psychology, 5205 Social and personality psychology

Abstract:

In this ecological study, we investigated whether help-seeking related to stigma, intentions, and attitudes toward suicide are associated with the suicide rates of 20 regions within the Netherlands and Belgium. Significant associations were found between regional suicide rates and the intention to seek informal help (β = -1.47, p = .001), self-stigma (β = 1.33, p = .038), and shame (β = .71, p = .030). The association between self-stigma and suicide rate was mediated by intentions to seek informal help. These results suggest that to promote suicide prevention at the level of the regional population, stigma, shame, and intentions to seek help should be targeted in the public domain.