J Korean Acad Nurs.  2011 Feb;41(1):61-71. 10.4040/jkan.2011.41.1.61.

A Phenomenological Study of Suicide Attempts in Elders

• Im MY
• Kim YJ

• KMID: 1007009
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2011.41.1.61

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning and essence of suicide for elderly people who had previously attempted suicide as an older person.
METHODS
Giorgi's descriptive phenomenology was used for analysis. The researchers carried out in-depth interviews, recordings and memos individually with four elders. The elders were individuals who had attempted suicide sometime in the past 5 yr. They were interviewed from 5 to 10 times using open-ended questions and a semi-structural format. Demographic data were also collected.
RESULTS
The meaning of suicide before a suicide attempt in older people had four core components: conflict with family, powerlessness and despair in their life with a drop in self-esteem, using internal and external resources to resolve their troubles and awareness of imminent crisis.
CONCLUSION
These results of this study will increase understanding of suicide in older people by defining their subjective experience of suicide attempts and applying grounded data in the development of programs that provide concrete intervention strategies to prevent suicide in elderly people.

Keyword

Elderly; Suicide attempt; Qualitative research; Phenomenology

MeSH Terms

Aged
Conflict (Psychology)
Depression
Female
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
Self Concept
Self Psychology
Suicide, Attempted/prevention & control/*psychology