A Q-Methodological Study of Suicidal Attitudes in Male Baby Boomers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify attitudes of male baby boomers towards suicide. Methods: Q-Methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each item was used. Thirty-five q-statements were selected from total 110 statements. The recruited P-sample consisted of thirty-three male baby boomers in 1 town and 4 cities. Q-statements were classified into a shape of normal distribution of a 9-point scale. Collected data were analyzed using PQMethod Program 2.11. Results: Three types of attitudes towards suicide were identified. The first type was self-overcoming type that oppose suicide. The second type was burden recognition type with ambivalence toward suicide. The third type was social support-seeking types that oppose suicide. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to apply a suicide prevention program differentiated according to the three types for suicide prevention among male baby boomers in Korea.