Cómo se piensa sobre el suicidio: modelos semánticos en Colombia

Abstract

A study was conducted to establish the conceptual models on the term "suicide" in inhabitants of Barrancabermeja and Santa Marta. Sample was 198 people (74% women, 26% men), with ages between 16 and 75 years (average 26,19). The Questionnaire of Attitudinal Beliefs on Suicidal Behavior (CCCS-18) was applied as a measure to identify attitude towards suicide; for the conceptualization of suicide the technique of Natural Semantic Networks (RSN) was used. The results indicated that the semantic network on suicide has as main terms “death”, “depression”, “sadness”, “problems” and “loneliness”, which allowed the proposal of a model that considers suicide as a decision of own death associated with cognitive ―such as the perception of problems,loneliness, lack and difficulties of self-esteem; and emotional elements ―as sadness, depression, despair and pain. Differences were found in the networks between age, cities and sex groups, but not between high and low attitudes towards suicide groups. The attitude toward suicide did not vary between sexes, but it did between cities and age groups.