ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year : 2020  |  Volume : 3 |  Issue : 1 |  Page : 22-31 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46319/RJMAHS.2020.v03i01.006

Exploring attitudes and perceptions regarding suicide in medical interns: A qualitative study
Swarna Buddha Nayok^1*, Sathyanarayana M.T.², Dhanashree Akshatha H.S.^3
1 Junior Resident, ² Professor and HOD, ³ Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Hospital, SSAHE, Tumakuru.
*Corresponding author:
Dr. Swarna Buddha Nayok, Junior Resident Dept. of Psychiatry, Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Hospital, Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higer Institution, Tumkur 572107, Karnataka. India.
E-mail: swarnabuddha_nayok@yahoo.co.in
Abstract
Background: Every doctor, and not just psychiatrists, should be competent enough to identify, assess and manage suicidal risk in any patient. Undergraduate medical training in India remains grossly deficit in this area and newly graduated doctors lack the essential skills required for suicide detection and management. To fill this lacuna, the prevailing perception of doctors towards suicide needs to be explored qualitatively. Aim: To explore the attitudes and perceptions of recently qualified doctors regarding suicide. Material and methods: A qualitative study with semi-structured audio-recorded in-depth interviews, with purposive sampling, involving six medical interns and analysed manually using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results: All viewed suicide to be increasing in the younger population.They believed “weak” and “trapped” people committed suicide, viewed society as “evil” and family as supportive. Although they were sensitive to suicidal issues, they lacked required professionalism and resorted towards informal ways like “being a friend” as the best immediate management. Creating awareness was opined to be effective to decrease suicidal attempts. Conclusion: Although all were sensitive towards suicide, there were conceptual gapsregarding causation and management of suicide in medical interns. This reflects the lack ofspecific training. Suicide causation, detection and related management should be more specifically and carefully incorporated in under-graduate medical curriculum.

Key words: Doctor, Suicide Prevention, Qualitative