The malleability of beliefs in the genetics of suicide: an intervention study with the beliefs in the inheritance of risk factors for suicide scale (BIRFSS)
Voracek, M.; Loibl, L.M.; Sonneck, G.
Psychiatria Danubina 20(1): 16-25
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0353-5053 PMID: 18376326 Document Number: 623758
Previous research has documented that disbelief in the genetics of suicide prevails. This study examined for the first time the malleability of such beliefs and their internal structure, using the Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS). A sample of 38 Austrian first-year psychology students (27 women, 11 men), previously not exposed to the topic, studied a recent overview article on the genetics of suicide as a self-paced exercise. Exposure to the contents of the article was evaluated with a subjective self-report measure and with an objective quiz. Validity checks were suggestive for a successful implementation of the intervention. Compared with baseline data 4 months prior to the intervention, evaluation of the intervention showed that participants held significantly stronger beliefs (Cohen's d = 1.41) in the genetics of suicide which also were more coherent. Disbelief in the genetics of suicide is modifiable. Study limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.