Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Research Trends

Stakeholder Perspectives on the Stigma of Suicide Attempt Survivors

Published Online:August 26, 2016https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000413

Abstract

Abstract.Background: Past scholarly efforts to describe and measure the stigma surrounding suicide have largely viewed suicide stigma from the perspective of the general public. Aims: In the spirit of community-based participatory research (CBPR), the current study brought together a diverse stakeholder team to qualitatively investigate the suicide stigma as experienced by those most intimately affected by suicide. Method: Seven focus groups (n = 62) were conducted with suicide attempt survivors, family members of those who died by suicide, and suicide loss therapists. Results: Themes were derived for stereotypes (n = 30), prejudice (n = 3), and discrimination (n = 4). People who attempted suicide were seen as attention-seeking, selfish, incompetent, emotionally weak, and immoral. Participants described personal experiences of prejudice and discrimination, including those with health professionals. Conclusion: Participants experienced public stigma, self-stigma, and label avoidance. Analyses reveal that the stigma of suicide shares similarities with stereotypes of mental illness, but also includes some important differences. Attempt survivors may be subject to double stigma, which impedes recovery and access to care.

References

  • Batterham, P. J., Calear, A. L., & Christensen, H. (2013a). Correlates of suicide stigma and suicide literacy in the community. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 43(4), 406–417. 10.1111/sltb.12026 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Batterham, P. J., Calear, A. L., & Christensen, H. (2013b). The stigma of suicide scale: Psychometric properties and correlates of the stigma of suicide. Crisis, 34(1), 13–21. 10.1027/0227-5910/a000156 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Bertolote, J. M., Fleischmann, A., De Leo, D., & Wasserman, D. (2004). Psychiatric diagnoses and suicide: Revisiting the evidence. Crisis, 25(4), 147–155. 10.1027/0227-5910.25.4.147 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Burton Denmark, A., Hess, E., & Becker, M. S. (2012). College students' reasons for concealing suicidal ideation. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 26(2), 83–98. 10.1080/87568225.2012.659158 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Calear, A. L., Batterham, P. J., & Christensen, H. (2014). Predictors of help-seeking for suicidal ideation in the community: Risks and opportunities for public suicide prevention campaigns. Psychiatry Research, 219(3), 525–530. 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.06.027 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Chan, W. I., Batterham, P., Christensen, H., & Galletly, C. (2014). Suicide literacy, suicide stigma and help-seeking intentions in Australian medical students. Australasian Psychiatry, 22(2), 132–139. 10.1177/1039856214522528 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., & Calabrese, J. D. (2005). Strategies for assessing and diminishing self-stigma. In P. W. CorriganEd., On the stigma of mental illness: Practical strategies for research and social change (pp. 239–256). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 10.1037/10887-011 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., Druss, B. G., & Perlick, D.A. (2014). The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 15(2), 37–70. 10.1177/1529100614531398 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., & Kosyluk, K. A. (2014). Mental illness stigma: Types, constructs, and vehicles for change. In P. W. CorriganEd., The stigma of disease and disability: Understanding causes and overcoming injustice (pp. 35–56). American Psychological Association. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., Larson, J. E., & Rüsch, N. (2009). Self-stigma and the "why try" effect: Impact on life goals and evidence-based practices. World Psychiatry, 8(2), 75–81. 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00218.x First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., Markowitz, F. E., Watson, A., Rowan, D., & Kubiak, M. A. (2003). An attribution model of public discrimination towards persons with mental illness. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44(2), 162–179. 10.2307/1519806 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., Morris, S. B., Michaels, P. J., Rafacz, J. D., & Rüsch, N. (2012). Challenging the public stigma of mental illness: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Psychiatric Services, 63(10), 963–973. 10.1176/appi.ps.201100529 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., & Shapiro, J. R. (2010). Measuring the impact of programs that challenge the public stigma of mental illness. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(8), 907–922. 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.06.004 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Corrigan, P. W., Watson, A. C., & Barr, L. (2006). Understanding the self-stigma of mental illness. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 25, 875–884. 10.1521/jscp.2006.25.8.875 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Curry, C. W., De, A. K., Ikeda, R. M., & Thacker, S. B. (2006). Health burden and funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30(3), 269–276. 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.10.028 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cutcliffe, J. R. (2003). Research endeavours into suicide: A need to shift the emphasis. British Journal of Nursing, 12(2), 92–99. 10.12968/bjon.2003.12.2.11058 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Cutcliffe, J., & Ball, P. B. (2009). Suicide survivors and the suicidology academe: Reconciliation and reciprocity. Crisis, 30(4), 208–214. 10.1027/0227-5910.30.4.208 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Dodemaide, P., & Crisp, B. R. (2013). Living with suicidal thoughts. Health Sociology Review, 22(3), 308–317. 10.5172/hesr.2013.22.3.308 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Farrelly, S., Jeffery, D., Rüsch, N., Williams, P., Thornicroft, G., & Clement, S. (2015). The link between mental health-related discrimination and suicidality: Service user perspectives. Psychological Medicine, 45(10), 2013–2022. 10.1017/S0033291714003158 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Frey, L. M., Hans, J. D., & Cerel, J. (2016). Suicide disclosure in suicide attempt survivors: Does family reaction moderate or mediate disclosure's effect on depression? Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 46(1), 96–105. 10.1111/sltb.12175 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Gaier, R. R. (2013). Social stigma and suicide. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 8e1, E1. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hendin, H., Lipschitz, A., Maltsberger, J. T., Haas, A. P., & Wynecoop, S. (2000). Therapists' reactions to patients' suicides. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(12), 2022–2027. 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.12.2022 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Hjelmeland, H., & Knizek, B. L. (2010). Why we need qualitative research in suicidology. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 40(1), 74–80. 10.1521/suli.2010.40.1.74 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Lester, D. (1992–1993). The stigma against dying and suicidal patients. Omega, 26, 71–75. 10.2190/PB36-AUG6-1R77-LPMG First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lester, D., & Walker, R. L. (2006). The stigma for attempting suicide and the loss to suicide prevention efforts. Crisis, 27(3), 147–148. 10.1027/0227-5910.27.3.147 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • Luoma, J. B., Martin, C. E., & Pearson, J. L. (2002). Contact with mental health and primary care providers before suicide: A review of the evidence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(6), 909–916. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (1999). Designing qualitative research. London, UK: Sage Publications. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (2008). Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Renberg, E. S., & Jacobsson, L. (2003). Development of a questionnaire on attitudes towards suicide (ATTS) and its application in a Swedish population. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 33(1), 52–64. 10.1521/suli.33.1.52.22784 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Rimkeviciene, J., Hawgood, J., O'Gorman, J., & De Leo, D. (2015). Personal stigma in suicide attempters. Death Studies, 39(10), 592–599. 10.1080/07481187.2015.1037972 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Rottman, J., Kelemen, D., & Young, L. (2014). Tainting the soul: Purity concerns predict moral judgments of suicide. Cognition, 130(2), 217–226. 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.11.007 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Rudd, M. D., Goulding, J. M., & Carlisle, C. J. (2013). Stigma and suicide warning signs. Archives of Suicide Research, 17(3), 313–318. 10.1080/13811118.2013.777000 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Scocco, P., Castriotta, C., Toffol, E., & Preti, A. (2012). Stigma of Suicide Attempt (STOSA) scale and Stigma of Suicide and Suicide Survivor (STOSASS) scale: Two new assessment tools. Psychiatry Research, 200(2), 872–878. 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.06.033 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Thornicroft, G., Brohan, E., Rose, D., Sartorius, N., & Leese, M., & INDIGO Study Group. (2009). Global pattern of experienced and anticipated discrimination against people with schizophrenia: A cross-sectional survey. The Lancet, 373(9661), 408–415. 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61817-6 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Tzeng, W. C., & Lipson, J. G. (2004). The cultural context of suicide stigma in Taiwan. Qualitative Health Research, 14(3), 345–358. 10.1177/1049732303262057 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Wiklander, M., Samuelsson, M., & Åsberg, M. (2003). Shame reactions after suicide attempt. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 17(3), 293–300. 10.1046/j.14716712.2003.00227.x First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Witte, T. K., Smith, A. R., & Joiner, T. E. (2010). Reason for cautious optimism? Two studies suggesting reduced stigma. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66(6), 611–626. 10.1002/jclp.20691 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Yakunina, E. S., Rogers, J. R., Waehler, C. A., & Werth, J. L. (2010). College students' intentions to seek help for suicidal ideation: Accounting for the help-negation effect. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 40(5), 438–450. 10.1521/suli.2010.40.5.438 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar