Family health teams facing suicidal behavior: quantitative cross-sectional study

Abstract Objective To analyze sociodemographic and occupational variables about the attitudes of Family Health Teams toward patients with suicidal behavior. Methods This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in a city of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The following instruments were used to collect data: Sociodemographic and occupational form and the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire. Data collection was performed from February to June 2023 with the participation of 235 professionals. Analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Student’s t-test, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression. Results Low professional capacity for patient care, few negative feelings, and few moralistic attitudes (global averages: 4.99, 3.82, and 6.16, respectively) were observed. In the bivariate analysis of the global averages, the variables education (p=0.005) and age group (p=0.049) were significant. In the multivariate analysis, age group (p≤0.001) and education level (p=0.012) were confirmed as predictors of outcomes and should be further investigated concerning attitudes. Conclusion The attitudes of professionals in family health teams can be influenced by personal characteristics. Professionals aged >42 years showed more negative feelings toward patients and suicide rights. Having a religion was associated with conceptions about the right to suicide.