Work stress has negative effects on the attitudes of emergency personnel towards patients who attempt suicide

Abstract

Many previous studies indicate that the attitudes of the staff towards patients who attempt suicide are often negative. Nevertheless, the attitudes of the staff working in different areas of an emergency department have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to explain the attitudes of emergency personnel (n = 184) towards patients who attempt suicide in the different stages of treatment in a general hospital by comparing the attitudes of the staff in the emergency room (n = 64), emergency ward (n = 47) and intensive care unit (n = 73). There were clear differences in attitudes of staff in the various units. The attitudes were most negative among emergency room staff, where all attempters are first treated. The intensive care staff, who treat the most serious cases, shared the most positive attitudes. It seems that specialized treatment of suicide attempters makes it possible to treat these patients in a more professional way in a general hospital.