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.