Attitude and help-seeking behavior towards suicide among medical students in Jammu and Kashmir

• Published in: Middle East Current Psychiatry Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 58 - 8
• Main Authors: Raj, Rajnish, Wani, Zaid Ahmad, Nazir, Deeba, Haq, Inaamul, Rehman, Andleeba, Jasrotia, Tanmay, Kumar, Kulbushan, Meer, Rameez Ahmad, Bhat, Maajid Shafi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2024; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Analysis; Attitudes; College students; Families & family life; Help seeking behavior; Help-seeking medical student; Internships; Likert scale; Medical colleges; Medical personnel; Medical students; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental health; Professionals; Psychiatry; Questionnaires; Suicidal attitude; Suicidal behavior; Suicidal ideation; Suicide; Suicide medical students; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys; Training; Workloads; India; Jammu & Kashmir; Suicide medical students; Suicidal attitude; Help-seeking medical student
• ISSN: 2090-5416; 2090-5408; 2090-5416
• DOI: 10.1186/s43045-024-00448-z

Introduction The ongoing training process and medical curriculum of the medical profession are crucial for equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills, but it can also be challenging to balance the demands of a busy learning schedule, making this period stressful. This study has been aimed to determining the attitude towards suicide and their help-seeking behavior among medical undergraduates in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Methodology Across medical colleges of the J&K region, an online survey was conducted among 275 medical undergraduates using Attitude Towards Suicide Scale-20 and General Help-Seeking Behavior Questionnaire. An independent sample t -test and one-way ANOVA were carried out for statistical analysis in SPSS 25.0. Result The mean age of the participants was 22.05 years, including 116 male and 159 female students. Psychiatry posting was attended by 31.3% ( N  = 86) students. Students showed greater acceptability over suicide is preventable, and it is a cry for help. For personal and emotional problems, subjects preferred seeking help from informal sources, while for suicidal ideations, they exhibited inclination towards formal sources. Conclusion Findings of the result should be utilized in preventing negative mental health consequences and in planning assistance to them. Medical students within the institution should receive counselling services from the psychiatry department in a non-stigmatizing manner.