Suicide prevention and management: perspective of future physicians

Abstract

Suicide has acquired progressive importance in bioethical reflections, constituting a multifactorial theme that raises important debates for medical teaching and practice, especially regarding autonomy and vulnerability. To investigate the topic in the field of medical education, this study sought to understand the opinion of medical students on the subject. Data were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire applied to 188 students (all genders) enrolled in a public state university. The findings reinforce the importance of personal and academic preparation through interventions with people at risk of suicide. However, the topic of suicide is still little discussed during the training of future physicians, particularly considering the importance of educational and preventive actions in this scenario.