Understanding Suicides through the Processes of Bereaved Relatives: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

This phenomenological study aimed to deeply understand the perceptions, experiences, and coping mechanisms of families who have experienced completed suicide in the pre- and post-suicide periods. In this scope, in-depth interviews were conducted with a family member who had experienced completed suicide. Colaizzi’s analysis method was used for data analysis. The main theme of the pre-suicide process included sub-themes of traumatic experiences, unmanageable genetic inheritance, and alcoholism; the main theme of the approaching period included sub-themes of clear signals and accelerators; the main theme of the post-suicide process included sub-themes of difficulty in creating meaning, stigma and guilt, and unmet support needs; the main theme of perceptions of preventability included the sub-theme not everyone who is sick has to die and ultimately.

Keywords:

• Bereavement
• completed suicide
• fenomenologic method
• family
• experience

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gülnaz Karatay

Dr. Gülnaz Karatay, is a professor in Public Health Nursing, in the Munzur University Faculty of Health Science. She completed her master and doctorate program at Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Science in Ankara, Turkey. Her research focuses on motivational interviewing for smoking cessation, improving congnitive function of the elderly, prevention of substance use in adolescent period and women health.

Nazan Gürarslan Baş

Dr. Nazan Gürarslan Baş is a associated professor in Pediatric Nursing, in the Munzur University Faculty of Health Science. She completed her master program at Mersin University and doctorate program at Atatürk University in Turkey. Her research focuses on social pediatric, poverty, prevention of substance use in adolescent period, cultural care practices and school health.