“ … I felt completely stranded”: liminality and recognition of personhood in the experiences of suicidal women admitted to psychiatric hospital

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how patients experience their suicidality and how they experience being in a psychiatric hospital.

Methods: This is part of a field study, and the article is based on data collected in interactions with 11 women who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital and were struggling with suicidality. Data were collected through interviews, conversations, and participatory observation. We analysed the data by means of Systematic Text Condensation, followed by a deductive process where the data and preliminary findings were interpreted in light of the theory of liminality.

Results: We found that the patients’ experiences of suicidality and being a patient in a psychiatric acute ward involve “Liminality and weakened sense of personhood,” and from their perspective, “Recognition of personhood” is an important aspect of care.

Conclusion: Our study indicates that suicidality and psychiatric hospitalization involve liminality and weakened sense of personhood, aspects that are important to consider in the care of the patients. Professionals need to acknowledge more the importance of recognition of personhood in care, since this can strengthen the patient’s self-worth and empower the person. Lack of recognition may increase the patient’s suffering and suicidality.

KEYWORDS:

• Care
• liminality
• mental health care
• psychiatry
• qualitative research
• suicide

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julia Hagen

Julia Hagen is postdoc at the Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. She has a professional background as a mental health nurse. Her research is on suicidality, and treatment and care of patients struggling with suicidality. From 1.4.2020, she is returning to her position as an Advisor at the Regional center on violence, traumatic stress and suicide prevention, St. Olavs Hospital.

Birthe Loa Knizek

Birthe Loa Knizek is professor at the Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. She is a specialist in clinical psychology (children- and adolescents). Her current research is on various aspects of suicidal behavior in Norway, Ghana and Uganda and especially culture, morality and gender.

Heidi Hjelmeland

Heidi Hjelmeland is professor at the Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. She is currently engaged in research projects in Norway, Ghana, and Uganda, and is specifically focusing on cultural/contextual aspects of suicidality in her research. She is also researching suicide research itself in the framework of critical suicidology and is engaged in theoretical and methodological development of the suicide research field.