Can a lecture influence attitudes to suicide prevention?

Abstract

Attitudes held by various groups of healthcare professionals with regard to suicide prevention were assessed using an attitude inventory before and after they attended a formal lecture. The lecture presented basic facts and statistics, discussed clinical techniques and challenged negative attitudes. Evidence is presented to suggest that a reduction in the proportion of expressed attitudes which were equivocal or negative towards the feasibility of suicide prevention in clinical practice, can be achieved by a lecture of this kind.