Suicide Stigma among Medical Students in Puerto Rico

Eliut Rivera-Segarra, Ernesto Rosario-Hernández, Paola Carminelli-Corretjer, Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali and Norka Polanco-Frontera
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Eliut Rivera-Segarra: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico
Ernesto Rosario-Hernández: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico
Paola Carminelli-Corretjer: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico
Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico
Norka Polanco-Frontera: School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00716, Puerto Rico

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-8

Abstract: Suicide is a global public health issue and the 10th leading cause of death, regardless of age, in the U.S. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens with one of the highest rates of suicide ideation and attempts (SIA) among all Latino sub-groups. Research has found that stigma is a risk factor for SIA. Medical students are an important group to target as they engage in routine clinical interactions with potential suicide victims, playing an important role in suicide prevention efforts. However, these efforts may be hampered by suicide stigma. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of suicide stigma in a sample of medical students in Puerto Rico. We implement an exploratory cross-sectional design using quantitative techniques. A total of 123 medical students participate in the study. Bivariate analyses suggest that gender is significantly correlated to suicide stigma ( p < 0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis suggests that suicide literacy (β = −0.196, p < 0.05) and emotional reaction to suicide (β = 0.212, p < 0.05) predict suicide stigma. Although preliminary, these findings echo previous research regarding the importance of literacy and emotional reaction in the stigmatization process. Future research may develop intervention strategies aimed at reducing suicide stigma among medical students.

Keywords: stigma; suicide; medical students; Puerto Rico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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