Attitudes of health professionals towards suicidal behavior: an intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on the attitudes of primary healthcare providers regarding patients with suicidal behavior. METHODS: Clinical trial randomized by clusters, with a sample of 261 healthcare professionals, from 22 health units selected by stratified sampling, were chosen and randomly allocated, by drawing, into two groups: intervention (n = 87) and control (n = 174). The participants of the intervention group were exposed to a 20-hour training on suicidal behavior. All 261 participants were evaluated before and after the intervention; the groups were compared to evaluate their attitude towards suicidal behavior using the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire (SBAQ), an evaluation made by comparison of the means via t-Student test, for independent samples, and paired t-test, for dependent samples. RESULTS: The intervention group, in comparison to their evaluation before and after training, as well as in the comparison with the evaluation of the control group, showed statistically significant differences in attitudes towards suicidal behavior, according to the differences presented in the scores for the domains: "perception of professional capacity," in all four items; "negative feeling," in six of the seven items; and in the "right to commit suicide" domain, in three of the five items. CONCLUSION: The brief training developed in primary health care was effective to improve the attitudes of the participants who were part of the intervention group regarding patients with suicidal behavior.

Attitudes of health professionals towards suicidal behavior: an intervention study / Atitudes dos profissionais de saúde frente a comportamento suicida: estudo de intervenção

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on the attitudes of primary healthcare providers regarding patients with suicidal behavior. METHODS Clinical trial randomized by clusters, with a sample of 261 healthcare professionals, from 22 health units selected by stratified sampling, were chosen and randomly allocated, by drawing, into two groups: intervention (n = 87) and control (n = 174). The participants of the intervention group were exposed to a 20-hour training on suicidal behavior. All 261 participants were evaluated before and after the intervention; the groups were compared to evaluate their attitude towards suicidal behavior using the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire (SBAQ), an evaluation made by comparison of the means via t-Student test, for independent samples, and paired t-test, for dependent samples. RESULTS The intervention group, in comparison to their evaluation before and after training, as well as in the comparison with the evaluation of the control group, showed statistically significant differences in attitudes towards suicidal behavior, according to the differences presented in the scores for the domains: "perception of professional capacity," in all four items; "negative feeling," in six of the seven items; and in the "right to commit suicide" domain, in three of the five items. CONCLUSION The brief training developed in primary health care was effective to improve the attitudes of the participants who were part of the intervention group regarding patients with suicidal behavior.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Avaliar o efeito de uma intervenção educativa sobre comportamento suicida nas atitudes dos profissionais de saúde da atenção primária. MÉTODO Ensaio clínico randomizado por conglomerados, com amostra de 261 profissionais de saúde, provenientes de 22 unidades de saúde selecionados por amostragem estratificada, elegidos e alocados aleatoriamente, mediante sorteio, em dois grupos: intervenção (n = 87) e controle (n = 174). Os participantes do grupo intervenção foram expostos a uma capacitação sobre comportamento suicida com duração de 20 horas. Todos os 261 participantes foram avaliados, antes e após a intervenção, e os grupos foram comparados para avaliar a atitude frente ao comportamento suicida utilizando o Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire (SBAQ), avaliação feita por comparação das médias via teste t-Student para amostras independentes e Teste t pareado para amostras dependentes. RESULTADOS O grupo intervenção, na comparação intragrupos antes e depois da capacitação, bem como na comparação com o grupo controle, demonstrou diferenças estatisticamente significativas nas atitudes frente ao comportamento suicida, avaliadas a partir das diferenças de scores nos domínios: "percepção da capacidade profissional", em todos os quatro itens; "sentimento negativo", em seis dos sete itens; e no domínio "direito ao suicídio", três dos cinco itens. CONCLUSÃO A capacitação breve desenvolvida na atenção primária à saúde foi efetiva para a melhora das atitudes dos participantes que integravam o grupo intervenção frente ao comportamento suicida.