Department of Psychiatry, Tairunnessa Memorial Medical college, Gazipur.
Department of Addiction Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Int Rev Psychiatry. 2024 Jun-Aug;36(4-5):535-542. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2252507. Epub 2023 Sep 9.
Literacy and stigma of suicide among religious leaders affect help-seeking behaviours for suicidal behaviour in the community. We did not find any study assessing the literacy and stigma level among religious leaders in Bangladesh to date. We aimed to assess the status of suicide literacy and stigma and factors related to them among religious leaders in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2023. Data were collected from 162 religious leaders (Imams) by self-reporting instrument purposively. The instruments contain several parts, like socio-demographic variables, suicidal behaviour, suicide literacy, and stigma towards suicide. The mean literacy score was 4.75 ± 1.56 (range 1-8). We did not find any relationship between suicide literacy and stigma. We found a positive correlation between stigma and isolation subscales (r = 0.67; < 0.001) and a negative correlation between isolation and glorification subscales (r = -0.28; < 0.001). Suicide literacy was higher in Imams with better income ( = 0.025), and Imams who observed suicide in close persons ( = 0.017). Isolation was lower in Imams with a family history of suicide attempts ( = 0.036), and lifetime suicidal thoughts ( = 0.020) whilst glorification was higher in persons with suicide attempts ( < 0.007). In conclusion, suicide literacy among the Islamic religious leaders (Imams) of Bangladesh is low and similar to the levels among the students. Strategies are warranted to improve the situation, as religious leaders can play important roles in suicide prevention and help-seeking for suicidal behaviour.
在社区中，宗教领袖的读写能力和对自杀的污名化会影响他们对自杀行为的帮助寻求行为。截至目前，我们尚未发现任何评估孟加拉国宗教领袖读写能力和污名化水平的研究。我们旨在评估孟加拉国宗教领袖的自杀读写能力和污名化状况及其相关因素。这是一项横断面研究，于 2023 年 4 月至 7 月进行。通过自我报告工具，有针对性地从 162 名宗教领袖（伊玛目）中收集数据。该工具包含多个部分，如社会人口统计学变量、自杀行为、自杀读写能力和对自杀的污名化。平均读写能力得分为 4.75±1.56（范围 1-8）。我们没有发现自杀读写能力和污名化之间存在任何关系。我们发现污名化与隔离子量表之间存在正相关（r=0.67；<0.001），而隔离与美化子量表之间存在负相关（r=-0.28；<0.001）。收入较好的伊玛目（ = 0.025）和观察到亲密人士自杀的伊玛目（ = 0.017）的自杀读写能力较高。有自杀未遂家族史的伊玛目（ = 0.036）和有终生自杀想法的伊玛目（ = 0.020）的隔离程度较低，而有自杀企图的人（ < 0.007）的美化程度较高。总之，孟加拉国伊斯兰教宗教领袖（伊玛目）的自杀读写能力较低，与学生的水平相似。有必要采取策略来改善这种情况，因为宗教领袖可以在预防自杀和寻求自杀行为的帮助方面发挥重要作用。
