Exploring Attitudes Toward Suicide in Adults Bereaved By Suicide and Suicide Attempt Survivors

Despite some research on public attitudes towards suicide, there is a lack of research on attitudes towards suicide in adults bereaved by suicide (loss survivors) and suicide attempt survivors. Understanding how suicide loss and attempt survivors perceive suicide and their experience with stigma is essential in designing interventions that can help change public perceptions and individual experiences of those with personal experience of suicide, particularly in promoting help seeking behaviors.

The current study aimed to examine attitudes towards suicide and stigma experienced in suicide loss and attempt survivors. Specifically, this study aimed to investigate stigmatized attitudes, as compared to perceptions with those of the general public, their perception of others’ attitudes towards suicide, and detailed accounts of personal experience with stigma. The study enhances the existing literature by providing a unique perspective on suicide and stigma from suicide loss and attempt survivors.

The sample consisted of 312 respondents, of which 79 (25.3%) identified as suicide loss survivors, 87 (27.9%) identified as attempt survivors, and 146 (46.8%) identified as having experienced both a loss and an attempt. The sample was predominately female (N=271, 87%) and respondent age ranged from 18-83 years of age, (M=44; SD=13.92). Participants were recruited through American Association of Suicidology’s listserv and snowball sampling was encouraged for the online survey.  Measures included the Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS), a 88-item scale comprised of descriptor words of a “typical” person who dies by suicide and general statements about suicide, rated on a 5-point Likert scale from (1) strongly disagree to (5) strongly agree. Previous research on the SOSS with members of the general public has showed a three factor structure. Other measures included a basic demographic questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and three open-ended questions about personal experience with stigma around suicide.

An exploratory principal components factor analysis with orthogonal rotation was conducted to determine the factor structure of the SOSS scale in these novel populations. The results revealed three SOSS factors with factor loadings on 16 items each loading above the cutoff point (≥.05). The factors representing isolation, stigma, and glorification accounted for 11.26%, 8.01%, and 7.27% of the variance (total 26.53%) respectively. These findings are consistent with past empirical findings using the SOSS in the general population.

One-way ANOVAs were used to identify group differences in SOSS-Isolation, SOSS-Stigma, and SOSS-Glorification scores. Suicide loss survivors had significantly higher ratings on the Isolation factor than those who had experienced both a loss and a personal attempt (p=.021). However, there was no significant effect of groups on stigma and glorification.

Results from this study provide useful information about how suicide loss and attempt survivors perceive suicide and whether there exist any differences between these populations that would help change messaging about suicide overall and to these specific populations. Additionally, findings have the potential to inform social work practice and programs aimed at helping suicide loss and attempt survivors and can also identify barriers to seeking care that may exist in these populations.