Suicidal Tendency and Family Orientation: Basis for Prevention Program

Abstract

Suicide is a social issue that everyone must address. Each year, more than 700,000 people die by suicide (WHO,2021). Every suicide has a devastating effect on the family and society. We define suicide as the deliberate termination of one's own life. In order to achieve its purpose, this study employed a quantitative research strategy that emphasized descriptive-correlational research. Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale by Israel Orbach was utilized. This instrument consisted of two components: (1) a research instrument consisting of items that gathered the birth order, type of family and menta health background; and (2) the MAST Scale, a four-point Likert scale consisting of thirty items divided into four types of attitude: attraction to life, repulsion by life, attraction to death and repulsion by death. The researcher used SPSS to generate descriptive statistics to describe the sociodemographic profile and Spearman rho to establish the association between variables following data collection. The findings shown conclusively that students who reside with their parents (nuclear family) are more likely to accept life. In contrast, students who lived in stepfamilies or blended families tend to reject life. However, birth order and family mental background had no significant link with suicidal tendencies. This study suggests the promotion of mental health prevention programs, especially for students living with stepfamilies. The findings will provide the academic institution with a foundation for designing counseling programs, such as Psychosocial Intervention, to address the needs of students with suicidal tendencies.