| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
|
| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 3 | Page : 89-92 |
|
|
Attitudes toward suicide: A comparison between urban and rural dwellers in Ghana
Emma Sethina Adjaottor1, Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu2
1 Department of Behavioural Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
2 Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Correspondence Address:
Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu
RM QT414, 4/F, Core T, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Emma Sethina Adjaottor
Department of Behavioural Sciences, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
Ghana
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/SHB.SHB_27_20
|
|
|
Introduction: Appropriate attitudes toward suicide (ATTS) is key to preventing suicide, a major mental health challenge worldwide. Hence, this study examined the differences between urban and rural dwellers on ATTS (in total and across the subscales – principal attitude (suicide as a right), representations of intentionality, tabooing, preventability of suicide, and knowledge (myths about suicide). Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. A convenient sampling technique was used to select 400 respondents from urban (n = 200) and rural (n = 200) areas. A questionnaire packet comprising a self-designed demographic section and valid ATTS scale was used for the data collection from respondents (urban and rural dwellers). Descriptive (frequency and percentages) and inferential (independent t-test) statistics were used to analyze the data using SPSS software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Both urban and rural dwellers were found to have negative ATTS with urban dwellers (131.40 ± 10.75) having significantly more negative ATTS (P = 0.000) than rural dwellers (118.59 ± 13.62). Furthermore, urban dwellers were found to have significantly more negative attitudes toward principal attitude (suicide as a right), representations of intentionality, tabooing, preventability of suicide, and knowledge (myths about suicide) than rural dwellers (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Settings influence ATTS such that urban dwellers have become more informed and more prepared to help prevent suicide compared with their rural counterparts.
|
|
|
|
| [FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
 |
|
