Factors Associated with Willingness to Visit Psychiatric Clinic among General Adult Population in Bucheon City / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate various factors associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics among the general adult population in Bucheon city, South Korea. METHODS: One thousand seventy-five adults completed a self-questionnaire assessing their willingness to visit psychiatric clinics, family history of mental illnesses, frequency of contact with the mentally ill, stigma and discrimination toward the mentally ill, and the Community Attitude toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI). Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics. RESULTS: Study results showed that being single was associated with reduced willingness to visit psychiatric clinics. Subjects who had more frequent contact with mentally ill patients were more willing to visit psychiatric clinics. Concerning the CAMI scale, higher scores in authoritarianism and lower scores in benevolence subscales were associated with greater willingness to visit psychiatric clinic. Subjects who strongly admitted the existence of the stigma, and discrimination, toward mentally ill patients were more willing to visit psychiatric clinics. CONCLUSION: Enhanced understanding of the factors associated with the willingness to visit psychiatric clinics would be helpful in reducing barriers to mental health services utilization in the community.

Variables Affecting to Attitudes towards Suicide among General Adult Population in the City of Bucheon / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate variables affecting attitudes toward suicide among the general adult population in the city of Bucheon, Korea. METHODS: Study participants included 1000 subjects over 18 years old who visited public offices in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Subjects completed a series of questionnaires covering demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and prior suicidal ideation and attempts. The Attitudes Toward Suicide-20 and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scales were used to assess attitudes toward suicide and the severity of depression, respectively. Exploratory factor analysis of the responses was performed. RESULTS: Analysis of responses on the Attitudes Toward Suicide-20 Scale revealed four important factors : permissiveness and unpredictability, attitudes toward suicide prevention, relationship between suicide causes and processes, and lack of comprehension of suicide. We assessed relationships among clinical and demographic variables by assessing scores on the Attitudes toward Suicide scale. Demographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, education, economic status, and religion), clinical characteristics (physical and psychological health), and prior suicidal ideation and attempts affected respondents attitudes toward suicide. CONCLUSION: The variables identified as affecting attitudes toward suicide in this study were similar to those reported in previous studies (i.e., sex, age, religion, education, physical, and psychological health, prior suicidal ideation and attempts). In support of previous research results, we suggest that identifying groups that exhibit variables associated with attitudes toward suicide is an important step in suicide prevention, as such attitudes may influence subsequent behavior. Educational campaigns aimed at suicide prevention can be enhanced by focusing on attitudes toward suicide.