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Knowledge and experience of suicidal behavior in physicians in the county of Minsk, Belarus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Y. Lasy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Belarus Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Belarus, Sweden
K. Minkevich
Affiliation:
Statistical Department, Minsk Oblast Psycho-Neurological Dispensary, Belarus, Sweden
D. Padruchny
Affiliation:
Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Mental Health, Belarus, Sweden
T. Martynova
Affiliation:
Minsk Oblast Psycho-Neurological Dispensary, Minsk, Belarus, Sweden
E. Mittendorfer-Rutz
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Section for Insurance Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

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Introduction

Belarus has one of the worlds’ highest suicide rates (48.5 and 9.1/100,000 for men and women, respectively). The country's first suicide prevention project (2009–2013) focuses on educational courses for all physicians employed in primary health care (N = 120) in two regions of the county of Minsk (Total population: 73,663).

Objective

The aim of this paper was to investigate physicians’ knowledge with regard to suicide prevention as well as their experience of suicidal behavior based on findings from the pilot study.

Methods

45 physicians (mean age 43.6; 31 women, 14 men; 35% of all physicians) had participated in the first training courses, including two educational seminars (24 hours, 2009–2010). All participating physicians answered the questionnaire with 40 items distributed before the training courses.

Result

The preliminary findings indicate that half of the participating doctors (N = 22) considered mental disorders as being the main risk factor for suicide and equally many defined suicide as an expression of “spiritual weakness”. 48% considered that asking patients about suicidal thoughts can stimulate the act. As many as 47% (21 physicians) had experienced a patients’ suicide during their professional practice (14 of them more than once). About half of the doctors (N = 24) have been confronted with a patient's suicide attempt and 20 participants (44%) experienced suicidal behavior of close friends and relatives. 17 (38%) and 2 doctors reported suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts ever in life, respectively.

Conclusion

Improved suicidological knowledge is badly needed, particularly in the light of the frequent confrontation with suicidal patients.

Type
P03-454
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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