ERIC Number: EJ1198943
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2158-2440
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Campus Suicide Prevention: Knowledge, Facts, and Stigma in a College Student Sample
VanDeusen, Karen M.; Ginebaugh, Kathryn J. Lewis; Walcott, Delores D.
SAGE Open, v5 n2 Apr 2015
A public health approach to suicide prevention (SP) emphasizes using a comprehensive plan utilizing multiple strategies to address suicide in the community of interest. Universities using this approach are called to develop interventions to increase SP knowledge, reduce suicide risk factors, enhance protective factors, and examine their efforts scientifically to evaluate program effectiveness. The current study polled responding college students (N = 819) about their exposure to campus SP messaging materials, participation in SP activities, and whether they experiencedhavinga person close to them attempt or die by suicide during the three years of a SP program funded by the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (2004). Students were also queried about their perceived level of SP knowledge, knowledge of suicide facts, and the stigma associated with receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors using the Suicide Prevention Exposure, Awareness, and Knowledge Survey (SPEAKS). Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships between study variables. Results indicated that exposure to SP messaging materials predicted a higher level of self-perceived knowledge and a lower level of perceived stigma. Participating in SP activities and having someone close to you attempt or die by suicide predicted both a higher level of perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of suicide facts. Self-identifying as male predicted a higher level of stigma. Implications for campus SP programming are discussed.
Descriptors: College Students, Suicide, Prevention, Social Bias, Intervention, Student Attitudes, Knowledge Level, Predictor Variables
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A