The ReSCU-M study: Comprehension of suicide social representation in Martinique Island. Perspective for prevention and communication strategies.
Résumé
Suicide prevention is a major worldwide public health goal. In Martinique Island (French West Indies), suicide rates are lower than France’s national ratio of suicide but it’s probably severely underestimated. In order to understand social representation’s (SR) of suicide in the general population but also in professionals of health in Martinique, the ReSCU (Representation of Suicide in Ultramarines Community) began in 2016. SR are the bridge between the individual and the social world. Studies point to the fact that personal experience of suicide causes an alteration of general attitudes toward suicide which can’t be separated from SR. This study tries to highlight SR of suicide in Martinique especially in professionals of health in general or psychiatric hospital and general practionners in order to understand basement from their attitudes, stereotypes, behaviour toward suicide. The goal of this study is to adapt a prevention strategy and communication, to modify health behaviours, in particular through the SR. A questionnaire was created to study SR of suicide with a word free-association task according to simple directives. It is a classic tool in SR studies. We disseminated a questionnaire via email for general practionners and face-to-face using digital tablet for hospital professionals. Two analysis of answers were made. First, we analysed the structure of SR using Vergès’s method of double analysis of evocation rank. Secondly, we made a collective mind mapping of word association to understand the most frequent and strongest association to target those inconscient links in communication strategy. The sample for this study is composed of 70 general practionners and 399 health professionals working in general and psychiatric hospital in Fort de France. First results show that most people were directly and personally concerned by suicide. Traumatic impact of suicide exists. Some judgement appears such as braveness and weakness. A difference exists between comprehension of general risk factors of suicide and causal assignment for specific causes of suicide in Martinique. People have two readings of causes of suicide: a general one and a territorial one. We propose in this communication to explain more specifically those results and propose to show how this kind of study allows local analysis and local adaptation of a suicide prevention strategy in particular to change attitudes and behaviour toward suicide.