Social perceptions of suicide among the university student in Gaza Strip (A field and descriptive study)

Abstract

This descriptive, analytical study aimed to identify the social perceptions of suicide for a university student in the Gaza Strip, the sample size 101 students was chosen purposively, a social perception questionnaire for suicide was used for the university student (Zuhair, 2008). The main results of this study were as follows: 67% believe that suicide is a response resulting from a personal problem, 93% of the sample agree that suicide is the choice of death intentionally, 90% of the sample agree that the suicide sees suicide as a means of freedom from his suffering, 60% Of the sample, they agreed that suicide, according to the suicide, is an assertion of its own in its own way, 66% agree that severe anxiety often leads to suicide, 79% agree that suicide is a rebellion against social norms, 88% agree that youth are the most vulnerable group to suicide, 61.5% of the sample collectively That suicide affects males more than females, 63% have indicated that the failure of the emotional relationship causes young people to commit suicide, 91% of them agree that suicide hinders the movement for the growth of societies. On the other hand, 43.5% say that the media in Gaza avoids talking about the problem of suicide, 78% agree that the issue of suicide in Gaza is one of the issues that shame families, 82% considered that suicide is a criminal act against society as a whole, 90% agreed that the suicidal person touches his religion and his family. The study agreed 100% that one can fight the idea of suicide by adhering to the principles of the Islamic religion, and the study concluded that there is a difference in the social perception of suicide for a university student. The study recommended the necessity of working towards achieving a comprehensive suicide prevention response targeting all groups of Palestinian society, especially the youth.