Conservatism and Attitudes toward Suicide: A Study of Taiwanese-American and U.S. Adults

Abstract

The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire and the Conservatism scale were administered to two samples of respondents: Eighty-two Taiwanese-Americans and eighty-two United States adults, of comparable gender, age, and geographical location. The results indicated significant differences on seven of the eight SOQ scales, as well as significant differences in conservatism. In both samples, the pattern of correlations between conservatism and attitudes toward suicide was highly similar, with more conservative individuals perceiving suicide as related to mental illness, religion, and moral evil, and less so as a right to die. In both samples, significant differences in attitudes toward suicide were reflected between those self-identified as suicide ideators and those not so identified.