Opinions About and Reactions to Suicide, and the Social Acceptance of a Suicidal Classmate Among Turkish High School Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the opinions about suicide and reactions to a suicidal peer among 89 female and 78 male Turkish high school students. Females more than males believed that suicide should be discussed among friends. More males than females perceived suicidal persons to be mentally ill and to be punished in the other world. Females showed greater acceptance for a suicidal classmate than males. An attitude for openly discussing suicide was associated with higher acceptance of a suicidal classmate. Perceiving suicidal individuals to be mentally ill was associated with lower acceptance of a suicidal peer.

Young Adults' Suicide Related Knowledge and Attitudes: Implications for suicide awareness education

“…Previous investigations have also indicated that females display better knowledge about adolescent suicide compared to their male peers (Eskin, 1992;Overholser et al, 1990). Results obtained in the present study support this hypothesis.…”

Adolescents' attitudes toward suicide, and a suicidal peer: A comparison between Swedish and Turkish high school students

“…More male than female Swedish students believed that a person has the right to commit suicide and considered suicide to be a solution to some problems whereas males and females in the Turkish sample did not differ in their opinions about these issues (Eskin, 1992). These differences in the two groups of adolescents are in fact in agreement with the national suicide rates for males and females (Eskin, 1993). In the age group of 15-24, the male to female ratio is 2.6 for Sweden and 1.0 for Turkey.…”

“…Three responses alternatives as: Yes, No, and Do not know were provided for these questions. The English translations of the questions (m Eskin, 1992) are abbreviated in Tables I and 2. Two more questions were included in this section. One question asked whether men or women commit suicide more and the other question asked whether upper and middle class or lower class pople commit suicide more.…”

“…The first aim of the present study was to investigate and report attitudes toward suicide and a suicidal classmate among Swedish adolescents. The second aim of the study was to compare Swedish adolescents' attitudes with those of Turkish adolescents' using data from a recent study (Eskin, 1992).…”

Suicide and Islam

“…Turkey Eskin (1995b) found that Turkish high school students were more accepting of a suicidal peer than were Swedish students, yet the Swedish students had a more liberal general attitude toward suicide. Among the Turkish high school students, females were more accepting of suicidal classmates and suicide in general than the males (Eskin, 1992). Agargun and Kara (1996) found that psychiatric patients with pure panic disorder were less suicidal than those with co morbid diagnoses.…”