title: Stigma, Attitudes, and Help-Seeking Intentions for Psychological Problems in Relation to Regional Suicide Rates.
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.
authors.affiliation: LUCAS KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reynders
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University and EMGO+ Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ad J F M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kerkhof
authors.affiliation: Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), KU Leuven - UHasselt, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Molenberghs
authors.affiliation: LUCAS KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Audenhove
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001530:Belgium; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009426:Netherlands; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame; D013240:Stereotyping; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000092864:Suicide Prevention