Life experiences of suicide attempters: An analysis in the context of gender

Suicide attempt is a serious problem that threatens the well-being and right to life of individuals, groups and societies. The social work profession whose core values are human rights and social justice aims to protect individuals' right to life and to discover social contexts that may hinder this right and lead to suicide attempts. In line with this aim, in this study, we tried to understand how gender and environmental contexts shaped the life experiences of male and female suicide attempters. In the study, in which the qualitative research method and phenomenological design were used, twenty individuals who attempted suicide, were between the ages of 16 and 44 years, attempted suicide at least six months ago, and were under psychiatric follow-up were interviewed. The data obtained using the semi-structured interview form was analyzed thematically using the MAXQDA 20 Analytics Pro software. The results indicated that the participants who attempted suicide had traumatic childhood and traumatic family experiences before they attempted suicide, experienced pressures due to gender-related stereotypes, roles and expectations, experienced biological, psychological and social crises, used suicide attempt as a coping method in the face of the difficulties they experienced and experienced numbness, loss of control, and crisis-related issues during their suicide attempt. The results also indicated that their purposes of attempting suicide might differ, that the methods they used were various, that they displayed self-stigmatizing attitudes after their suicide attempt, that they were exposed to negative reactions such as shock, fear, sadness and anxiety from their family and immediate circle, and that they held on to life more tightly if they received social support. In addition, the participants' experiences regarding mental health, social support, economic status and religious beliefs played a significant role in their suicide attempts. At the end of the study, we observed that the participants experienced different processes regarding suicide attempts, and that this process was shaped in the context of gender and their relationships with the systems in which men and women interacted. The results of the study demonstrated the importance of multifaceted approaches and perspectives in social work practices, legislation and policies, institutional structures, cooperation mechanisms and individual and social awareness dimensions. Key Words: Suicide Attempt, Ecological System Approach, Social Work, Gender, Life Experience