title: A test of the effectiveness of a list of suicide warning signs for the public.
abstract: In this study we examined the effect that reading a list of warning signs for suicide has on beliefs about suicide, including the belief that one can recognize a suicidal crisis. All participants read two sets of warning signs (with only the experimental group reading the suicide warning signs) and then answered questions concerning beliefs related to three health problems. Results indicate that participants who read the suicide warning signs reported greater abilities to recognize if someone is suicidal but did not report stronger beliefs that suicidal individuals are partly to blame, nor did they report lower likelihoods of befriending suicidal individuals. Results suggest that reading the list of warning signs may be effective in increasing the public's ability to recognize suicidal crises without creating or magnifying stigmatizing beliefs about suicidal individuals.
authors.affiliation: Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Van Orden
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hollar
authors.forename: M David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandrusiak
authors.forename: Morton M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D012938:Social Perception; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure