The attitudes of preclinical and clinical Turkish medical students toward suicide attempters

Background: Interest in studies of stigma toward patients with mental disorders is growing. Research on the attitudes of medical students toward suicide attempters does not exist; although as medical personnel, they will encounter suicide attempters in emergency rooms. Aims: We aimed to investigate the attitudes of preclinical and clinical medical students toward suicide attempters and to compare their attitudes with nonmedical students. Methods: Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires those were searching the attitudes toward suicide attempters. These questionnaires used a social distance scale, skillfulness assessment scale, and dangerousness scale. Results: More than 73% of students had a negative attitude toward "renting a room of their home to a suicide attempter." More than 90% would not want "a suicide attempter to supervise their children for few hours." Significantly more preclinical than clinical students would not want their children to marry a suicide attempter. Conclusions: Social distance, skillfulness, and attitudes concerning the dangerousness of suicide attempters are problematic for medical students and need educational intervention.