Stigmatising attitudes towards suicide by gender and age

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyse the association between gender, age, and stigmatising attitudes towards suicide. We collected a non-probabilistic sample of 344 Portuguese individuals aged 16 to 66. The data were collected via questionnaire and then analysed with frequency analysis and chi-squared test. Results suggest that more men revealed stigmatising attitudes. However, the gender effect was more evident within adolescents than within adults. An age effect was also found, revealing that adults hold more stigmatising attitudes than adolescents, but this effect was more evident within female gender. Furthermore, all participants considered that suicide attempters should undergo psychotherapy. These results suggest that gender and age are relevant variables in the development of suicide prevention measures focused on reducing stigma and promoting help-seeking.