Attitudes towards suicide in Slovenia: a cross-sectional survey.
BACKGROUND
Slovenia has been experiencing a very high suicide rate (30 per 10,000 inhabitants per year or higher) and there are no data on public attitudes towards suicide in Slovenia.


OBJECTIVE
To identify public attitudes towards suicide in order to expand the basis for prevention.


METHODS
A Suicide Attitudes Questionnaire (SUIATT) was sent to a representative sample of adult Slovenian citizens.


RESULTS
Some 5.2% of respondents had at least one previous suicidal attempt and 21.6% reported suicidal ideation (SI). More respondents with SI than respondents without SI reported: 1) the suicidal act as deliberated, 2) less importance attached to the mental illness in suicidal behaviour, 3) that a person has the right to commit suicide, and 4) the suicidal act as an act of cowardice.


CONCLUSIONS
Results do not allow a general statement whether attitudes towards suicide are permissive or restrictive. However, in the subgroup of respondents with SI we found a tendency towards permissiveness regarding suicide.
Kocmur
Marga
M
University Psychiatric Hospital, Ljubljana-Polje, Slovenia. marga.kocmur@psih-klinika.si
Dernovsek
Mojca Z
MZ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D017524:Slovenia; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000092864:Suicide Prevention