Training program in suicide prevention for psychiatric nursing personnel enhance attitudes to attempted suicide patients

Attitudes of psychiatric nursing personnel towards patients who had attempted suicide were examined before and after a training program in psychiatric suicide prevention. The attitudinal changes were measured by a newly constructed scale, the understanding of suicide attempt patients scale (USP-scale), and responses to three brief clinical vignettes. General understanding and willingness to nurse, as measured by the USP-scale, increased significantly, and the suicide risk of patients described in case vignettes was estimated more accurately after the program. The results suggest that it may be possible to enhance attitudes to attempted suicide patients among psychiatric nursing personnel.