The Reasons to Go On Living Project: stories of recovery after a suicide attempt

ABSTRACT

Qualitative research in suicidology has become increasingly common in the literature. Lakeman and FitzGerald (2008) conducted a review of qualitative works specifically on suicide and recovery. Five interconnected themes—suffering/psychache, struggle, connection, turning points, and suicide and coping—were identified. The Reasons to Go On Living Project (RTGOL) project was a web-based narrative research project that sought to understand the transition from making a suicide attempt to choosing life. This article reports the findings of a secondary analysis of the narratives. By using Lakeman and FitzGerald’s themes as a starting point, one hundred and thirteen submissions were thematically analyzed using a deductive approach. The findings are mostly consistent with the interconnected themes identified by Lakeman and FitzGerald. Moreover, subthemes were identified to better reflect the lived experience of the participants. Clinical and research implications of this project will be discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Narrative analysis
• online research
• recovery
• suicide

Acknowledgements

Appreciation is extended first and foremost to the participants in this study for their investment in this project and their willingness to share their stories of recovery. Acknowledgement is also extended to our student research assistants from the School of Nursing at McMaster University.

Funding

The authors received funding from a McMaster University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience – Psychiatry Associates AFP Research/Education Grant.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received funding from a McMaster University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience – Psychiatry Associates AFP Research/Education Grant.

Notes on contributors

K. Jacky Chan

K. Jacky Chan is currently a PhD student in clinical psychology at the University of Ottawa. His doctoral research primarily focuses on the effects of cultural identity on family dynamic, adjustment, and well-being among immigrants and refugees. Mr. Chan has secondary interests in community-based mental health research related to trauma, suicide, and recovery.

Helen Kirkpatrick

Helen Kirkpatrick is an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University School of Nursing. Dr. Kirkpatrick’s narrative research has included studies of hope for people with schizophrenia, harm reduction, and people with major mental illnesses who were homeless and found permanent housing with supports.

Jennifer Brasch

Jennifer Brasch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She previously served as the Medical Director of Psychiatric Emergency Service at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. Dr. Brasch is very interested in medical education and speaks frequently on suicide risk assessment, motivational interviewing, emergency psychiatry, and other topics.