Mental health of gatekeepers may influence their own attitudes toward suicide: A questionnaire survey from a suicide-prevention gatekeeper training program.

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the association between general mental health and attitudes toward suicide of participants in suicide-prevention gatekeeper training programs. We conducted a number of half day training seminars within a suicide prevention program addressing gatekeepers. Participants filled in two questionnaires, one measuring general health (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12), and one measuring attitudes towards suicide (ATTS). The total sample size of participants was 230, of whom 115 completed questionnaires. There were no significant differences in demographic backgrounds between the good mental health (GHQ-12 ≤ 4) and the poor mental health (GHQ-12 ≥ 5) groups. The poor mental health group was more likely to think that people have the right to commit suicide. There was a difference in attitudes toward suicide between the good mental health and the poor mental health groups, indicating that attention should be paid to participants' mental health when conducting suicide-prevention gatekeeper training.