Effect of Relative Versus Absolute Quantitative Messages Regarding Suicide on the Perceived Severity of the Phenomenon

Bibliographic Data

ID13628628
AuthorsYossi Levi‐Belz (0000-0002-8865-5639, Ruppin Academic Center, corresponding author), Eyal Gamliel (0000-0002-9594-2791, Ruppin Academic Center)
Year2018
Volume81
Issue4
Pages592-606
Publication date2018-08-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0030-2228 • E-ISSN: 1541-3764
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0030222818791715
PMID30079803
OpenAlexW2887655271
LanguageEN
References cited29

Presentation of epidemiological information about the absolute number of suicides has been used occasionally to increase awareness of the suicide phenomenon. This study investigated the effectiveness of absolute quantitative messages versus relative messages. An example of relative messages would be comparing the number of suicide deaths with the number of deaths by car accidents. Participants were randomly presented with absolute or relative messages regarding suicide. They were then requested to indicate the degree of severity they attributed to the suicide phenomenon, being the level to which they view the phenomenon as sufficiently important to mandate national intervention and resource allocation. Relative messages proved more effective than absolute ones in yielding greater perceived severity of suicide. Increasing public and policymakers' awareness of the suicide phenomenon could be aided by presenting information in relative terms

Absolute (philosophy · Absolute risk reduction · Environmental health · Injury prevention · Intervention (counseling · Mandate · Medical emergency · Phenomenon · Poison control · Political science · Psychiatry · Relative risk · Suicide prevention · Health disparities and outcomes · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Smoking Behavior and Cessation · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies