Perceptions and Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals Towards Suicidal Behavior Cases: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study

Perceptions and Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals Towards Suicidal Behavior Cases: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Perceptions and Attitudes of Mental Health Professionals Towards Suicidal Behavior Cases: A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study Yves GASHUGI, Ernestine Kanyana, Simeon Gitimbwa Sebatukura, Josias Izabayo, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5974370/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Aims: This study aims to examine the attitudes and perceptions of Mental health Professionals toward suicidal behavior cases. Background: Suicide remains a significant public health challenge worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Rwanda, suicide rates have increased due to a combination of psychological, social, cultural, and economic factors. Mental health professionals (MHPs) play a critical role in suicide prevention, yet their perceptions, attitudes, and coping mechanisms remain underexplored. This study investigates MHPs’ perspectives on recognizing suicidal behavior, identifying risk factors, and managing the emotional burden associated with suicide prevention. Methods: A qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 12 mental health professionals working in various institutions across Rwanda. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection involved both in-person and virtual interviews, with thematic analysis applied to identify recurring themes in MHPs’ experiences, attitudes, and coping strategies. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and confidentiality, were strictly adhered to. Results: Findings reveal that MHPs identify hopelessness, social withdrawal, somatic complaints, and verbalized suicide intent as primary indicators of suicide risk. Family conflict, mental illness, economic distress, and genocide-related trauma were cited as major contributing factors. MHPs reported experiencing guilt, frustration, countertransference, and burnout when working with suicidal patients. However, coping mechanisms such as spiritual practices, social support, clinical supervision, and physical activities were commonly employed to manage emotional distress. Conclusion: Addressing stigma, improving training in suicide risk assessment, expanding mental health services, and enhancing professional support systems are critical for strengthening suicide prevention efforts. Implementing evidence-based interventions and community-focused mental health strategies can improve outcomes for at-risk individuals and reduce the emotional burden on MHPs. Psychology Educational Psychology Mental Health Professionals Suicidal Behavior Attitudes &Perceptions Rwanda Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5974370","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":412145975,"identity":"f3b4378b-32eb-4dab-872d-2c01715e632f","order_by":0,"name":"Yves 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Rwanda","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5974370/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5974370/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAims:\u003c/strong\u003e This study aims to examine the attitudes and perceptions of Mental health Professionals toward suicidal behavior cases.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground: \u003c/strong\u003eSuicide remains a significant public health challenge worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In Rwanda, suicide rates have increased due to a combination of psychological, social, cultural, and economic factors. Mental health professionals (MHPs) play a critical role in suicide prevention, yet their perceptions, attitudes, and coping mechanisms remain underexplored. This study investigates MHPs’ perspectives on recognizing suicidal behavior, identifying risk factors, and managing the emotional burden associated with suicide prevention.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e A qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 12 mental health professionals working in various institutions across Rwanda. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection involved both in-person and virtual interviews, with thematic analysis applied to identify recurring themes in MHPs’ experiences, attitudes, and coping strategies. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and confidentiality, were strictly adhered to.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults: \u003c/strong\u003eFindings reveal that MHPs identify hopelessness, social withdrawal, somatic complaints, and verbalized suicide intent as primary indicators of suicide risk. Family conflict, mental illness, economic distress, and genocide-related trauma were cited as major contributing factors. MHPs reported experiencing guilt, frustration, countertransference, and burnout when working with suicidal patients. 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