Counselors' spirituality, attitudes toward suicide, and self-efficacy in conducting suicide risk assessment

Abstract

Counselors often grapple with a lack of confidence and self-efficacy when conducting suicide risk assessments and treating individuals at risk of suicide. We conducted an online survey involving master's-level clinicians and students (N = 132). The survey explored the association between perceived spiritual support (independent variable) and counselor self-efficacy (dependent variable) while also investigating the moderating role of four attitude constructs: avoidance of communication, suicide as common, suicide as acceptable, and preventability of suicide. When accounting for covariates, greater perceived spiritual support was associated with higher counselor self-efficacy scores. Of the total variation in self-efficacy scores, 4.3% can be explained by perceived spiritual support. Notably, three of the attitude constructs (common, acceptable, and preventable) did not significantly moderate the relationship between perceived spiritual support and self-efficacy. However, avoidance of communication attitudes surfaced as a moderator between perceived spiritual support and counselor self-efficacy, F = 12.964, p = .001. This finding suggests that mental health professionals who hold avoidance attitudes may experience a weakened connection between their perceived spiritual support and their self-efficacy in handling suicide risk assessments. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between perceived spiritual support, attitudes toward suicide, and self-efficacy in suicide risk assessment among mental health professionals. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).