Department of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2020 Jun;50(3):631-642. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12629. Epub 2020 Mar 2.
Suicidal persons often face public stigmatization which affects help-seeking behavior and may lead to an additional suicide risk. There is not much known about differences in stigmatizing attitudes concerning characteristics of affected persons. The present study investigates public stigma toward suicidal persons in Germany by focussing on differences concerning sex, age, and medical condition of the affected person.
A national telephone survey (N = 2,002) was conducted using case vignettes presenting a person with suicidal thoughts. Vignettes systematically varied in sex, age, and medical condition (depressive symptoms vs. cancer). Several components of stigma were assessed ("weakness of will" as a cause, separation, negative emotional reactions, and desire for social distance).
About 44% of the respondents agreed that a cause of suicidal thoughts is "weakness of will," and two thirds disagreed that they would feel and think the same as the described person. In terms of emotional reactions, fear was more pronounced than anger. Stigmatizing attitudes were particularly pronounced when the described person was female and depressive symptoms were presented.
Magnitude of public suicide stigma varies depending on the characteristics of the described person. Groups that are at special risk of being stigmatized should be considered in antistigma programs.
自杀者常常面临公众污名化，这会影响他们寻求帮助的行为，并可能导致额外的自杀风险。关于受影响者特征的污名化态度差异，我们了解得并不多。本研究通过关注受影响者的性别、年龄和健康状况的差异，调查了德国公众对自杀者的污名化态度。
使用呈现有自杀想法的人的案例情节，进行了一项全国性的电话调查（N=2002）。案例情节在性别、年龄和健康状况（抑郁症状与癌症）方面进行了系统的变化。评估了污名的几个组成部分（自杀想法的原因是“意志薄弱”、分离、负面情绪反应和想要保持社交距离）。
约 44%的受访者同意自杀想法的原因是“意志薄弱”，三分之二的人不同意他们会与描述的人有相同的感受和想法。在情绪反应方面，恐惧比愤怒更为明显。当描述的人是女性且呈现抑郁症状时，污名化态度尤其明显。
公众对自杀的污名化程度取决于所描述的人的特征。应在反污名化计划中考虑那些特别容易受到污名化的群体。
