Intentions to Help People at Risk of Suicide and Associated Factors: A National Telephone Survey in Taiwan

Abstract

Objective

Many people at risk of suicide do not actively seek help. Suicide prevention efforts need to involve the general public to provide appropriate support to those in need. It is important to investigate the intention to help those at risk of suicide and the factors associated with helping intentions in the general population. We aimed to assess the intention to help people at risk and associated factors using a national representative sample.

Method

We conducted a national telephone survey of 1,087 Taiwanese adults and collected data regarding participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, mental health status, helping intentions, misconceptions about suicide, and attitudes toward suicide and suicide prevention.

Results

The prevalence of high intentions to help people at risk of suicide was 56.5%. Helping intentions did not differ by sex, educational level, employment status, marital status, or mental health status. Those with high helping intentions were younger, less likely to have misconceptions about suicide or agree that suicide is a personal choice, and more likely to believe that suicide is preventable and support suicide prevention measures.

Conclusions

Suicide prevention education programs aimed to enhance helping intentions may usefully target debunking misconceptions about suicide and cultivating positive attitudes toward suicide prevention.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The prevalence of high intentions to help people at risk of suicide was 56.5%.

• Individuals with high intentions to help were less likely to hold misconceptions about suicide.

• Individuals with high intentions to help were less likely to believe that suicide is a personal choice.

Keywords:

• Helping intention
• suicide
• misconceptions
• suicide prevention
• gatekeepers

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare. This publication is partially based on Yu-Mei Gao's unpublished master thesis.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

ITH is supported by the Taiwan National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) [NSTC 112-2627-M-006-007]. SSC is supported by the NSTC [NSTC 109-2314-B-002-144-MY3 and NSTC 112-2314-B-002-213-MY3]. SSC is also supported by the Population Health Research Center from Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan (grant number NTU-112L9004). KCCW is supported by the NSTC [NSTC 105-2410-H-002-027-SS3]. YYC is supported by the National Health Research Institutes [NHRI-EX110-10818PI], the NSTC [NSTC 108-2314-B-532-007-MY2], and the Department of Health Taipei City Government [10901-62-008].

Notes on contributors

I-Ting Hwang

I-Ting Hwang, Ph.D., Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

Yu-Mei Gao

Yu-Mei Gao, M.S., Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Shu-Sen Chang

Shu-Sen Chang, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Global Health Program, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Population Health Research Center, National Taiwan University.

Ying-Chen Chi

Ying-Chen Chi, Ph.D., Department of Healthcare Information and Management, Ming Chuan University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Kevin Chien-Chang Wu

Kevin Chien-Chang Wu, M.D., LL.M., Ph.D., Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Bioethics, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Ying-Yeh Chen

Ying-Yeh Chen, M.D., Sc.D., Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Institute of Public Health and Department of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.