The burden of attempted suicide: The attitude of emergency services workers

Introduction The great global burden of suicide requires specific preventive strategies focused on emergency services (ES) workers, providing first aid after attempted suicide. Objectives To investigate the approach of ES workers toward attempted suicides, and to assess work-related stress and teamwork attitude as variables likely to influence suicide risk perception. Methods A total of 265 ES workers (73 medical doctors, 130 nurses, 62 health and social care workers) from 3 hospitals in the area of Modena (Northern Italy) were involved. In a group setting, titles from local newspapers reporting about suicides were read, and ES workers were asked to fill in 3 psychometric scale questionnaires (SUIATT, MBI and SAQ). Results The questionnaires returned were 88 (33%), 47% (n = 42) were filled by women, median age was 40 years. Doctors group had the highest response rate (60%). Burnout levels were intermediate at the Emotional Exhaustion subscale, severe at the Depersonalization subscale and mild at the Professional Efficacy subscale. Eighteen percent recorded a good team perception, 33% had a good perception of their work conditions. SUIATT subscales showed a restrictive attitude toward suicide, regardless of hospital and task. Discussion No associations emerged among SUIATT, MBI and SAQ subscales; male sex alone correlated to the SUIATT factor “rationality/ mental alteration”, suggesting more “tolerance” of suicidal behaviour. Conclusions It is crucial to raise awareness among ES workers on this issue, since those workers considering suicide as “more acceptable” are more likely to recognise its signs.