The persistent stigmatization of suicide calls for a careful examination of the thought processes involved in perceptions of suicide. Hence, the present study is the first to apply terror management theory (TMT) and use experimental methods to examine whether reminders of death lead to increased stigma towards suicide and whether self-esteem moderates these stigmatized reactions. Consistent with the predicted effect of the death anxiety and self-esteem hypothesis, findings revealed that, for respondents with low self-esteem, thinking about their own death led to more stigma, less willingness to intervene, and allocated less money to a suicide prevention organization as compared to those who did not think about death. Findings from this study could have important implications for how we understand the psychological underpinnings of stigma and the role of death anxiety in hostile attitudes and decreased altruism – especially for mental health professionals working with individuals affected by suicide.

对自杀的持续污名化要求仔细检查与自杀观念相关的思维过程。因此，本研究首次应用恐怖管理理论 (TMT) 并使用实验方法来检查死亡提醒是否会导致自杀耻辱感增加，以及自尊是否会缓和这些耻辱感反应。与死亡焦虑和自尊假说的预测效果一致，调查结果显示，对于自尊心低的受访者来说，思考自己的死亡会导致更多的耻辱感、更少的干预意愿，并减少用于预防自杀的资金与那些没有想到死亡的组织相比。