Facts and myths of suicide in Canada
- 1 May 1988
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Death Studies
- Vol. 12 (3) , 195-206
- https://doi.org/10.1080/07481188808252236
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe a series of studies that investigated the level of knowledge of suicide fables and facts among Canadians. A questionnaire devised from Shneidman's traditional list of ubiquitous clinical facts and myths was used. Three studies are reported: the prevalence of myths and facts in the largest sample reported in the literature to date; the prevalence in a number of different groups such as students versus nonstudents, university students versus high school students, male versus female, and individuals in different geographic areas; and a follow-up to evaluated memory for such information. The results are perceived to indicate “high” levels of knowledge in all sampled Canadians but subject to normal cognitive and dynamic processes of forgetting. Implications of the findings, especially regarding suicide prevention/awareness, are discussed.Keywords
This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Prevalence of Suicidal Behaviors, Attitudes and Associated Social Experiences in an Urban PopulationSuicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 1985
- Suicide facts and myths: A study of prevalenceDeath Studies, 1985
- Variables affecting subjects' endorsements of psychological test results.Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne, 1982
- Attitudes toward suicide: A factor analytic approachJournal of Clinical Psychology, 1982
- Community attitudes toward suicideCommunity Mental Health Journal, 1974
- Physicians' knowledge and attitudes about suicidePublished by American Medical Association (AMA) ,1973