How People React to Suicidal Ideation:The Effect of Suicide Literacy,
Stigma, and Expressive Suppression
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study is to understand the role of
suicide literacy and suicide stigma in laypeople’s intention to
recommend professional help in Korea. Additionally, the study focuses on
the role of expressive suppression as a sociocultural factor. Methods:
Participants read vignettes depicting either subclinical distress or
suicidal ideation and answered questions measuring suicide literacy,
stigma, and expressive suppression. Mediated moderation analyses were
used to examine the interactions between these factors. Results: The
result found the significant effect of emotional suppression. The
mediating effect of suicide stigma on the relationship between suicide
literacy and recommendation of professional help was significant for
those who do not suppress their emotions. This result indicates that
when individuals were not hesitant to express negative emotions, high
suicide literacy lowered suicide stigma and led to more willingness to
recommend professional help. Conclusions: The results showed that
emotional suppression acts as a barrier deterring Koreans from
professional help for their mental health. The findings underscore the
importance of sociocultural factors such as emotional suppression in
developing suicide prevention strategies.