Health Professionals Perspective on Suicide

Health Professionals Perspective on Suicide: A Study of Their Attitude, Challenges and Suicide Prevention

The aim is to investigate how health professionals view/respond towards suicidal patients, what was their attitude, experiences and difficulties/challenges they faced while dealing with suicidal patients (whether successful or unsuccessful), and what measures/methods are optimal or could be used to prevent suicide from the perspective of mental and non mental health professionals through concurrent mixed methods study approach.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Suicide, Attempted; Suicide; Suicide Prevention; Completed Suicide

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 100

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Syeda Ayat e Zainab Ali, PhD Scholar; Phone Number: +923121319004; Email: zai_nab1@hotmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Dr Tamkeen Saleem, PhD; Phone Number: (00)92-(0)51-9019887; Email: tamkeen.saleem@iiu.edu.pk

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Capital
    • Islamabad, Capital, Pakistan, 44000
      • Recruiting
      • International Islamic University, Islamabad Pakistan
      • Contact: Syeda Ayat e Zainab Ali, PhD Scholar; Phone Number: +923121319004; Email: zai_nab1@hotmail.com
      • Contact: Dr Tamkeen Saleem, PhD; Phone Number: (00)92-(0)51-9019887; Email: tamkeen.saleem@iiu.edu.pk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Considering the study design (concurrent mixed methods), a sample size of sixteen health professionals from different specialties (n=4, Accident and Emergency, n=4 Medicine, n=4 Surgery, n=4 Mental Health) who are the front line clinicians dealing with suicidal behavior will be recruited for the qualitative study. For the quantitative study, the sample will comprised of ninety (n=100) health professionals from respective departments (n=50, (Non Mental Health Professionals, n=50 Mental Health Professionals). Data will be collected through purposive sampling technique.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Health professionals having at least 1 year of experience in dealing with suicide cases irrespective of the outcome will be included.
• Qualification of Health professionals should be at least MBBS with permanent PMDCP registration.
• Health professionals who are willing to participate voluntarily and provide written informed consent will be included.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Health Professionals with prior and present history of psychiatric consultation will be excluded.
• Health Professionals without direct experience in handling suicidal patients will be excluded.
• Nurses and Paramedical staff will be excluded from the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Mental Health Professionals
Non Mental Health Professionals

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Interview Protocol for Qualitative Study	A interview protocol for qualitative study will comprised of detailed demographic sheet and open ended questions.	Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Understanding Suicidal Patients (USP) scale	The Understanding Suicidal Patients (USP) scale (Samuelsson, Asberg, & Gustavsson, 1997) will be used to measure willingness to provide care to suicide attempters and to assess the professional's understanding and sympathy for these patients.	Day 1
The Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS-SF)	The Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS-SF) is a 16-item short form have been developed to examine attitudes towards "a prototypical person who completed suicide"	Day 1
Attitudes towards Suicide Scale	The scale is used to examine the respondents' opinions and attitudes towards suicide. Factors measured by the scale are: (1) acceptability of suicide; (2) suicide as a sign of mental illness; (3) the belief that persons who commit suicide will be punished after death; (4) the opinion that suicidal people should communicate their problems; (5) the intention to hide past suicidal behavior; and (6) the opinion that suicide should be discussed and reported openly among friends or in the news.	Day 1
Attitudes towards Suicide Prevention Scale	Attitude toward suicide prevention scale is a 14-item, self-rated, 5-point Likert scale (Strongly agree to strongly disagree) will be used to asses attitudes towards suicide prevention.	Day 1
Difficulties in Suicidal Behaviors Intervention Questionnaire - Version for Psychologists and Doctors (DSBQ)	To assess the difficulties of health professionals when facing a patient who seeks help after a suicide attempt.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Syeda AYAT E ZAINAB Ali
• Collaborators: University of Leicester; University of Wuerzburg
• Investigators: Study Chair: Dr Tamkeen Saleem, PhD, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan; Study Chair: Dr Michelle O'Reilly, PhD, University of Leicester and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust; Study Chair: Dr Stefan M Schulz, PhD, University of Wuerzburg

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The impact of patient suicide on the professional reactions and practices of mental health caregivers and social workers

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): March 29, 2023
• Study Completion (Anticipated): April 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 24, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): October 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): March 3, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 2, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted; Suicide, Completed
• Other Study ID Numbers: LWL-HPPS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No