The effects of religious versus secular education on suicide ideation and suicidal attitudes in adolescents in Turkey

Background Religion is associated with lower rates of self-killing, but the mechanism underlying religion-suicide association is not clear. To better understand this relationship, the present study investigated the impact of religious versus secular education on suicidal ideation and attitudes towards suicide and a suicidal close friend in Turkish adolescents. Deduced from religious commitment, social integration, networking and stigma perspectives, the study tested five specific predictions. Method A questionnaire was used to collect the data in a group of adolescents (n = 206) undergoing religious education and a group of adolescents (n = 214) undergoing secular education (N = 420). Results Suicide ideation was more frequent in adolescents undergoing secular education than in those undergoing religious education. The secular group was more accepting of suicide than the religious group. Those from the religious group, however, were more accepting of a suicidal close friend than their secular counterparts. Conclusion It seems that self-killing finds accepting attitudes in secular segments of societies and, hence, people consider self-killing as an option during times of personal crises. People from religious communities, however, seem not to accept self-killing as an option, but they are more positive toward persons who have considered suicide for one reason or another.