“If you do not birget [manage] then you don’t belong here”: a qualitative focus group study on the cultural meanings of suicide among Indigenous Sámi in arctic Norway

Figures & data

Table 1. Sample characteristics

Category	Description
No. of participants	22
Sex	15 women, 7 men
Age	19–74 years, mean 48,6 y (male = 50,7 y, female = 47,6 y), median 47,5 y
Profession	Mental health workers, suicide prevention workers, cultural workers (artists, language workers, personnel in cultural centres), reindeer herders, fishermen, politicians, students and retired.
Ethnic background	Sámi (n = 20) and non-Sámi (n = 2).

Table 2. Results including number of excerpts, categories and themes

Number of excerpts	Category	Theme
3	Discrimination against Sámi	Sámi are treated negatively by the majority society
2	Prejudices against Sámi
5	Not everyone experience negative treatment
16	Bullying against Sámi
10	Structural discrimination against Sámi
13	Consequences of negative treatment
5	Lack of knowledge about Sámi and Sámi contexts
29	Reindeer herders face much negative treatment
14	Inherited family stigma	Some Sámi face negative treatment from other Sámi
8	To not have strong enough Sámi identity is a problem
5	Individuals facing more negative treatment struggle
4	Having visited psychiatric hospital stigmatises
16	Mental illness as a stigma for the individual
7	Deviant sexuality might lead to social exclusion
5	Loss of culture	The historic losses of the Sámi has turned into a void
2	Loss of religion and spirituality
3	Loss of language
6	Loss of land and animals
23	The negative consequences of the losses of Sámi identity
2	Discrimination from the healthcare system	Sámi are not provided with equal mental health care
8	Less than perfect equality results in negative consequences
6	The boys do not fit into the care system
7	Critique against the diagnostic system
9	Differences of culture between Norwegian and Sámi patients
9	Less trust in Norwegian health care systems
1	Health potential in discovering your Sámi identity
26	Sámi cultural competence is lacking
3	Language competency is lacking
17	Problems when asking for help
22	Everyone helps out after a suicide	The Sámi networks have significance
21	The Laestadianism movement protects health
19	The social networks supports in times of crisis
17	Relationships with other Sámi protects identity, which protects health
16	The disadvantages of keeping together as Sámi
21	Extended family protects health
6	Failed individual problem solution	Birgetkultuvvra might be a problem
7	Impacts of traditional and non-traditional childrearing
5	They showed no signs of suicidality
13	One should not talk about or show (negative) feelings
14	It is mostly a boys’ problem
5	Pressure to perform perfect
6	Signs were not taken seriously
4	There is no room for being a failure
10	Honour means to manage yourself and not lose face
7	Critiquing Sámi suicides

Figure 1. Visual model of results