Perceived Stigma's Influence on the Association Between Suicide Risk Severity and Help-Seeking for Suicidal Crises

Introduction: Unfortunately, research examining help-seeking for suicide is limited. This study examined age, race, gender, suicide risk severity, and perceived stigma as predictors of formal and informal help-seeking behaviors individuals engage in during suicidal crises, and explored perceived stigma as a moderator of the relationship between risk severity and help-seeking. Method: Data from 80 college students who had experienced a past suicidal crisis were analyzed using two moderation analyses. Results: Rates of formal (67.5%) and informal (86.2%) help-seeking were high in the study sample. Higher suicide risk severity was positively associated with formal help-seeking (b = 0.16, SE = 0.06, p = 0.001), while gender minority status was negatively associated with formal help-seeking (b = -0.80, SE = 0.33, p = 0.018). None of the other relationships examined were statistically significant. Discussion: Findings highlight the importance of educating health care providers and community members alike on how to provide useful assistance to people experiencing suicidal crises.