title: Einstellung zu Suizid, Religiosität und Health Beliefs
Creators: name: Fink, Ellina
Publisher: name: :none
Year: 2013

description: Background: Lot of studies pointed out the effect of religiosity and the use of alcohol on suicide. Although there are a lot of reasons why people commit suicide there are a lot of factors which are not explained yet. For a better understanding of suicidal behavior some authors use the cultural context of the suicide. While immigrants from the former soviet union represent one of the biggest group in middle Europe, there is no literature which highlight the attitudes toward suicide in this population. Purpose: This study examined cross-cultural differences between immigrants from Russia and Kazakhstan and people leaving in Russia and Kazakhstan. These differences are relat-ed to attitudes toward suicide and reactions to suicidal individuals, religiosity, lay theories of suicide, the beliefs in the inheritance of risk factors for suicide as well as attitudes to-wards seeking professional help. Method: A questionnaire was used to collect data in a group of immigrants (n = 102) and individuals in former Soviet Union (n = 98). Results: In general people living in Russia and Kazakhstan score higher in religiosity and have more negative attitudes towards a suicidal friend than immigrants. Immigrants believe more in intrapersonal causes for suicide and have more positive attitude towards seeking professional psychological help than individuals from Russia and Kazakhstan. Conclusion: Several cross-cultural results could be found. The stigma - hypotheses could partially be confirmed. Limitations and implication for further research are discussed.
description: Background: Lot of studies pointed out the effect of religiosity and the use of alcohol on suicide. Although there are a lot of reasons why people commit suicide there are a lot of factors which are not explained yet. For a better understanding of suicidal behavior some authors use the cultural context of the suicide. While immigrants from the former soviet union represent one of the biggest group in middle Europe, there is no literature which highlight the attitudes toward suicide in this population. Purpose: This study examined cross-cultural differences between immigrants from Russia and Kazakhstan and people leaving in Russia and Kazakhstan. These differences are relat-ed to attitudes toward suicide and reactions to suicidal individuals, religiosity, lay theories of suicide, the beliefs in the inheritance of risk factors for suicide as well as attitudes to-wards seeking professional help. Method: A questionnaire was used to collect data in a group of immigrants (n = 102) and individuals in former Soviet Union (n = 98). Results: In general people living in Russia and Kazakhstan score higher in religiosity and have more negative attitudes towards a suicidal friend than immigrants. Immigrants believe more in intrapersonal causes for suicide and have more positive attitude towards seeking professional psychological help than individuals from Russia and Kazakhstan. Conclusion: Several cross-cultural results could be found. The stigma - hypotheses could partially be confirmed. Limitations and implication for further research are discussed.