Experiences of the bereaved in connection with the suicide of young men

Abstract

The findings challenge the current prevention model. Healthcare personnel as well as the general population should be better informed that mental illness is neither a sufficient nor a necessary factor to explain suicide, even though a higher risk of suicide is associated with some mental disorders.

"Time to Try Something New" – Professionals' Experiences and Reflections on Suicide Prevention in Norway

“…They also recommended that suicide prevention should be closer to where people live their lives. This is consistent with, for example, Rasmussen and Dieserud (2018), who found that the suicide crisis was linked to relational factors. The authors pointed out that their findings challenge the current suicide prevention model and that we need a broader perspective than the biomedical model.…”

A call for change from impersonal risk assessment to a relational approach: professionals’ reflections on the national guidelines for suicide prevention in mental health care in Norway

“…The importance of and request for an emphasis on relations are well known (Østlie et al, 2018 ; Rasmussen & Dieserud, 2018 ). It is thus timely to ask why the national guidelines did not highlight relational aspects and why this still needs to be requested.…”

“…Both the service-user perspective and recovery literature challenge the orthodoxy of individual pathology and psychiatry dominating the epistemology of mental health (Borg et al, 2009 ; Webb, 2010 ). In contrast to an emphasis on individual pathology, the service-user perspective and recovery literature highlight, for example, relationships (Rasmussen & Dieserud, 2018 ; Topor et al, 2006 ), everyday life (Borg & Davidson, 2008 ) and being acknowledged as a human being (Berg, Rortveit & Aase, 2017 ) as important aspects for recovery. Therefore, several researchers call for an epistemological acknowledgement of the users’ subjectivity and experiences in both research and practice (Hjelmeland, 2016 ; Kogstad et al, 2011 ; Webb, 2010 ).…”

“…For example, White et al ( 2016 ) envisage a future with relational, strengths-based, culturally responsive and social justice-oriented approaches. The importance of relational aspects and approaches to suicide prevention in mental healthcare has been emphasized in several qualitative studies (Østlie et al, 2018 ; Rasmussen & Dieserud, 2018 ; Talseth et al, 2003 ; Vatne & Nåden, 2016 , 2018 ). Emphasizing the therapeutic alliance, “the active and purposeful collaboration between patient and therapist” (Michel, 2011 , p. 14), is one example of a relational approach to suicide prevention.…”

Nye perspektiv på selvmordsforebygging

“…Nyere studier viser at oppimot 40 % av selvmord ikke med rimelighet kan knyttes til alvorlig psykisk lidelse (5-7). I en norsk studie fra 2018 dybdeintervjuet vi foreldre, søsken, kjaerester og venner til unge menn som uventet tok livet sitt (8). Et gjennomgående funn var at det ikke hadde vaert knyttet selvmordsfare til disse unge mennene i tiden før selvmordet, fordi de hadde høy mestringsevne og fravaer av symptomer på alvorlig psykisk lidelse.…”