Introduction:

To evaluate the self-confidence and knowledge of medical students when caring for patients at risk for suicide.

Methods:

A quantitative cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 310 medical students from the campus of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in Natal, Brazil. Data was collected through the application of the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire (QuACS, Questionário de Atitudes Frente ao Comportamento Suicida) in association with a sociodemographic questionnaire. The Spearman and Mann-Whitney correlation tests were used to analyze the data.

Results:

Students closer to the end of the course and those who had practical experience with suicide showed less negative feelings, more sense of professional capacity and less condemnatory attitudes towards suicide. Students in the beginning of the course showed more negative feelings towards suicide. There was no statistically significant influence of gender, having a friend or family member who attempted suicide or past experience of suicidal thoughts on the results.

Conclusion:

The study strengthens the correlation between the implementation of practical experience and capacitation activities with less negative feelings and increased sense of professional capacity to deal with suicidal behavior.

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