The Personal Suicide Stigma Questionnaire (PSSQ): Relation to Self-Esteem, Well-Being, and Help-Seeking

Brant R. Maclean, Tahni Forrester, Jacinta Hawgood, John O’Gorman and Jurgita Rimkeviciene ()
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Brant R. Maclean: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
Tahni Forrester: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
Jacinta Hawgood: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
John O’Gorman: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
Jurgita Rimkeviciene: Suicide Research Centre, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, LT-03100 Vilnius, Lithuania

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Two studies are reported that extend the evidence base for use of the Personal Stigma of Suicide Questionnaire (PSSQ). In the first study (N = 117), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the WHO-5 measure of well-being, as well as measures of suicidality were examined in relation to the PSSQ. A self-selected sub-sample (N = 30) completed the PSSQ after an interval of two months. In line with the stigma internalization model, when demographic variables and suicidality were accounted for, the PSSQ self-blame subscale was the most significant predictor of self-esteem. As for well-being, the rejection subscale was involved as well as self-blame. The retest stability of the PSSQ for the sub-sample was 0.85 and coefficient alpha for the total sample was 0.95, indicating both good stability and internal consistency for the scale. In the second study (N = 140), PSSQ was studied in relation to intention to seek help from four sources in the case of suicidal ideation. The strongest relationship with PSSQ was with intention not to seek help from anyone (r = 0.35). When other variables were included in the prediction of help-seeking from a general medical practitioner, family or friends, or from nobody, the only significant PSSQ correlate was minimization. For help-seeking from a psychologist or psychiatrist, the most significant predictor was judged helpfulness of prior contact with them. The results from these studies strengthen previous findings of the construct validity of the PSSQ and point to its utility in understanding barriers to help-seeking among those experiencing suicidality.

Keywords: personal stigma; self-esteem; PSSQ reliability; suicidality; help-seeking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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