Stigma as a barrier to suicide prevention efforts in Iran

Suicide and suicide attempt affect a considerable part of the general population, and in spite of their prevalence, the stigma associated with suicide remains an unsolved problem surrounding this important public health problem, especially in lower-income countries such as Iran. Evidence shows that...

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Published in:Frontiers in public health Vol. 10; p. 1026451
Main Authors: Masoomi, Maryam, Hosseinikolbadi, Seyedehmahboobeh, Saeed, Fahimeh, Sharifi, Vandad, Jalali Nadoushan, Amir Hossein, Shoib, Sheikh
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 09-01-2023
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Summary:Suicide and suicide attempt affect a considerable part of the general population, and in spite of their prevalence, the stigma associated with suicide remains an unsolved problem surrounding this important public health problem, especially in lower-income countries such as Iran. Evidence shows that help-seeking from formal mental health services for suicidal people is low in countries like Iran. Previous studies on Iranian survivors of suicide attempts have shown that these people experience fear of stigma due to labels such as loss of faith in God, having forms of severe mental illnesses (" "), and being involved in unaccepted sexual relationships. The associated stigma prevents them from seeking appropriate health and social services. Although both self-stigma and public stigma contribute to an unwillingness to seek mental health care and suicide prevention efforts in Iran, public stigma may be of greater consequence, significantly impeding an individual's likelihood of accessing care for their suicidal thoughts or attempts. In such circumstances, many people with suicidal thoughts miss out on social and formal support programs offered by social and healthcare providers. In this perspective article, focusing on the public stigma regarding suicide in Iranian society, we address the challenges and barriers to seeking suicide prevention efforts in Iran and discuss culturally appropriate strategies to improve the current situation.
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Reviewed by: Demee Rheinberger, University of New South Wales, Australia; Fiona Shand, University of New South Wales, Australia
This article was submitted to Public Mental Health, a section of the journal Frontiers in Public Health
ORCID: Maryam Masoomi orcid.org/0000-0001-6354-6113
Fahimeh Saeed orcid.org/0000-0002-0214-3887
Edited by: Renato de Filippis, Magna Græcia University, Italy
ISSN:2296-2565
2296-2565
DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1026451