CAN A LECTURE INFLUENCE ATTITUDES TO SUICIDE-PREVENTION

Attitudes held by various groups of healthcare professionals with rega rd to suicide prevention were assessed using an attitude inventory bef ore and after they attended a formal lecture. The lecture presented ba sic 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 nega tive towards the feasibility of suicide prevention in clinical practic e, can be achieved by a lecture of this kind.