Death Attitudes in Students of Medical, Humanitarian and Technical Specialties: the Issue of Suicide Risk

We discuss the problem of variability of defenses from fears of death, and their dependence on the obtained profession. We describe a study with the sample was 757 subjects 18-25 years old (398 males, 359 females) from Moscow (N.E. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, engineers, n = 283), Cheboksary (Chuvash State University, physicians, psychologists, and Cheboksary Branch of RSSU, lawyers, managers, n = 323), and Odessa (Odessa National University of Economics, economists, n = 151). During the study, the subjects filled in questionnaires on time-perspective, hardiness, death attitudes and fears of death. The study confirmed the hypothesis that medical students in relation to the problem of death are significantly different from non-health professions students in relation to the problem of death ana pattern of defenses. The article presents a comprehensive picture of each of the professions of the students enrolled in the study, considering the heightened risk of suicide. The results of the study can be used to form the training courses that take into account the specifics of the future work of students in their chosen specialty.