Prevalence of social distance and restriction among college students with suicide attempts in Chongqing

Abstract

To explore the attitude towards 10 different populations with different characteristics on their social distance and acceptance among those people with or without suicidal attempts among college students in Chongqing. 9808 college students were randomly selected from 11 universities in Chongqing and administered a self-constructed questionnaire "Suicide Attitude and Mental Health Status Questionnaire". A t-test was employed to analyze the social distance and degree of acceptance of college students with or without suicide attempts towards different groups as criminals, hypertensive, with suicide actions, homosexuals, depressive disorder, HIV infection, drug addiction, death of family members, hospitalization history in mental service and alcohol addiction. 169 college students had suicide attempts; the reporting rate of suicide attempts was 1.7%. Among college students, the scores higher than 50 on nine items related to social distance towards strangers with those 10 different characteristics and the top three were on those with HIV infection, drug addiction and hospitalization history in mental service. There were differences (P < 0.05) in scores of social distance attitude towards strangers with drug addiction (with suicide attempts 83.38 ± 21.82, without suicide attempts 78.55 ± 21.55, t = 2.88), hospitalization history in mental service (79.27 ± 21.23, 75.67 ± 21.31, t = 2.17), homosexuality (66.87 ± 24.77, 74.14 ± 21.94, t = -4.25), alcohol addiction (66.72 ± 21.80, 61.00 ± 22.80, t = 3.23) and hypertension (56.65 ± 20.40, 53.36 ± 21.05, t = 2.01) between college students with or without suicide attempts. College students scored higher than 50 in 7 items of social rejective attitudes towards acquaintances, of those with hospitalization history in mental service, drug and alcohol addiction ranked the top three. It showed statistical significances in social rejection attitudes towards acquaintances with homosexuality (35.28 ± 30.38, 42.83 ± 30.76, t = -3.14), severe depression (56.59 ± 28.49, 61.64 ± 25.56, t = -2.53) and suicide behaviors (51.46 ± 28.19, 56.56 ± 26.35, t = -2.48) between students with or without suicide attempts. College students in Chongqing kept quite far social distance and restrictive behaviors in college students with or without suicide attempts. Targeted interventions on suicide attempters should be carried out accordingly.