TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring Health Care Professionals’ Knowledge of, Attitudes Towards, and Confidence in Caring for People at Risk of Suicide
T2 - a Systematic Review
AU - Boukouvalas, Evelyn
AU - El-Den, Sarira
AU - Murphy, Andrea L.
AU - Salvador-Carulla, Luis
AU - O’Reilly, Claire L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 International Academy for Suicide Research.
PY - 2020/8/31
Y1 - 2020/8/31
N2 - Health care professionals are paramount to the prevention and management of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors is influenced by knowledge of and attitudes towards suicide. This systematic review aimed to explore health care professionals’ knowledge of and attitudes towards suicide, as well as, their confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A systematic search of 4 electronic databases over 10 years was conducted. Following retrieval of 1,723 abstracts, 46 primary research publications were included, involving both cross-sectional (n = 27) and intervention study designs (n = 19). Knowledge of, attitudes towards, and confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors were explored among primary health care professionals, specialists, and health care students. The influence of training and education, type of health care professional, country of practice, and prior experience with suicide were highlighted among included studies. Health care professionals’ knowledge of, attitudes towards and confidence in caring for people at risk of suicide are complex, interrelated constructs that shape their behaviors and may impact patient outcomes. Suicide training and education is necessary within health care curricula and as part of health care professionals’ continuing professional development.
AB - Health care professionals are paramount to the prevention and management of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors is influenced by knowledge of and attitudes towards suicide. This systematic review aimed to explore health care professionals’ knowledge of and attitudes towards suicide, as well as, their confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. A systematic search of 4 electronic databases over 10 years was conducted. Following retrieval of 1,723 abstracts, 46 primary research publications were included, involving both cross-sectional (n = 27) and intervention study designs (n = 19). Knowledge of, attitudes towards, and confidence in caring for people at risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors were explored among primary health care professionals, specialists, and health care students. The influence of training and education, type of health care professional, country of practice, and prior experience with suicide were highlighted among included studies. Health care professionals’ knowledge of, attitudes towards and confidence in caring for people at risk of suicide are complex, interrelated constructs that shape their behaviors and may impact patient outcomes. Suicide training and education is necessary within health care curricula and as part of health care professionals’ continuing professional development.
KW - confidence
KW - health care professionals
KW - knowledge
KW - suicide
KW - attitudes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089986876&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13811118.2019.1586608
DO - 10.1080/13811118.2019.1586608
M3 - Review article
SN - 1381-1118
VL - 24
SP - S1-S31
JO - Archives of Suicide Research
JF - Archives of Suicide Research
IS - sup2
ER -