| Abstract [eng] |
Suicide rates in Lithuania remain one of the highest in Europe. Fast and effective help in suicide crisis is a very important suicide prevention factor, therefore, it is important that people are capable of noticing signs of increased suicide risk and respond to them appropriately. This study involved an evaluation of professionals’, who encounter individuals in suicide crises at work, attitudes to suicide prevention, preparedness, likelihood, and self-efficacy to provide help. Furthermore, the study analysed subjective hardships faced by participants when working with suicide crises. One hundred and forty-one participants from 10 municipalities in Lithuania with the highest suicide rates took part in this study (mean age 47,72; SD = 9,75). The sample included professionals from health care and education systems, social services, police, municipality. The participants completed the Attitudes to Suicide Prevention scale (ASP) and the Gatekeeper Behaviour Scale (GBS) and answered an open-ended question regarding the hardships they face at work. The results revealed that more positive attitudes to suicide prevention were correlated with better preparedness, higher likelihood to respond to suicide crises and higher self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy was found to be a strong predictor of the likelihood to act in an encounter with suicidal individuals. Content analysis revealed that when working with suicide crises, professionals face hardships related to the process of providing help, difficult inner experiences, systemic suicide prevention limitations and the specific characteristics of suicidal individuals. Based on the results of this study as well as on the literature review, it can be concluded that to ensure quality help in suicide crises situations, it is important to attend not only to professionals’ theoretical knowledge but also to practical skills which would enable them to talk about suicide, provide emotional support without judgement, draw boundaries of one’s own responsibilities. Therefore, suicide prevention teaching programs should address these skills to enhance professionals’ confidence in their ability to help those in suicide crises. |
