Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

The experiences of attempt survivor families and how they cope after a suicide attempt in Ghana: a qualitative study

Authors: Winifred Asare-Doku, Joseph Osafo, Charity S. Akotia

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Ghana’s socio-cultural landscape proscribes suicidal behaviour, and this has serious ramifications for attempt survivors and their families. The objective of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of the families of attempt survivors and how they cope with the aftermath of the attempt.

Methods

Ten families with attempted suicides agreed to participate in the study, hence they were interviewed. The information gathered was manually analyzed according to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) resulting in three major thematic areas.

Results

Three major themes emerged two of which addressed negative experiences and reactions towards the attempts: Experiencing shame and stigma, and Reactive affect. The third theme addressed the coping resources of these informants under the theme: Surviving the stress of attempt. The specific coping resources included personalized spiritual coping, social support, and avoidance.

Conclusions

Family systems theory is used to explain some of the findings of this study, and the implication for clinical practice and designing postvention programs for families after a suicide attempt are addressed.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Hjelmeland H, Akotia CS, Owens V, Knizek BL, Nordvik H, Schroeder R, Kinyanda E. Self-reported suicidal behavior and attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention among psychology students in Ghana. Uganda Norway Crisis. 2008;29:20–31.PubMed
2.
3.
Jordan JR. Is suicide bereavement different? A reassessment of the literature. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2001;31:91–102.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Buus N, Caspersen J, Hansen R, Stenager E, Fleischer E. Experiences of parents whose sons or daughters have (had) attempted suicide. J Adv Nurs. 2014;70:823–32.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Dyregrov K, Dyregrov A. Siblings after suicide—“The forgotten bereaved”. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2005;35:714-24.
6.
Sveen CA, Walby FA. Suicide survivors' mental health and grief reactions: a systematic review of controlled studies. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008;38:13–29.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Wiklander M, Samuelsson M, Åsberg M. Shame reactions after suicide attempt. Scand J Caring Sci. 2003;17:293–300.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Osafo J, Hjelmeland H, Akotia CS, Knizek BL. Social injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the attitudes towards suicide of lay persons in Ghana. Int J Qualitative Study Health Well-Being. 2011c;6:8708.CrossRef
9.
Gyekye K. African cultural values: an introduction. Accra: Sankofa publishing company; 2003.
10.
Adjibolosoo SBK. The significance of the human factor in African economic development. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group;1995.
11.
Osafo J. Unpacking the stigma of suicide in Ghana through the suicide-morality connection: implications for stigma reduction programs. Suicidology Online. 2016;7:11–23.
12.
Osafo J, Akotia CS, Andoh-Arthur J, Quarshie ENB. Attempted suicide in Ghana: motivation, stigma, and coping. Death Stud. 2015;39:274–80.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Adinkrah M. Criminal prosecution of suicide attempt survivors in Ghana. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2013;57:1477–97.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Osafo J, Akotia CS, Andoh-Arthur J, Boakye KE, Quarshie, ENB. “We now have a patient and not a criminal” an exploratory study of judges and lawyers’ views on suicide attempters and the law in Ghana. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2017; 0306624X17692059.
15.
Osafo J, Akotia CS, Quarshie ENB, Andoh-Arthur A, Boakye KE. Community leaders attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention in Ghana: perspectives and roles. Transcult Psychiatry. (in press)
16.
Vawda NBM. Associations between family suicide and personal suicidal behaviour among youth in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa S Afr Fam Pract. 2012;54:244-49.
17.
Adinkrah M. Criminal prosecution of suicide attempt survivors in Ghana. Int J Offender Criminol Ther Comp. 2012a;XX:1–21.
18.
Frey LM, Hans JD, Cerel J. An interpretive phenomenological inquiry of family and friend reactions to suicide disclosure. J Marital Fam Ther. 2016;43:159–72.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Barnes DH. The aftermath of suicide among African Americans. J Black Psychol. 2006;32:335–48.CrossRef
20.
21.
Harwood D, Hawton K, Hope T, Jacoby R. The grief experiences and needs of bereaved relatives and friends of older people dying through suicide: a descriptive and case-control study. J Affect Disord. 2002;72:185–94.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Van Dongen CJ. Experiences of family members after a suicide. J Fam Pract. 1991;33:375–81.PubMed
23.
Wilson A, Marshall A. The support needs and experiences of suicidally bereaved family and friends. Death Stud. 2010;34:625–40.CrossRefPubMed
24.
McLaughlin C, McGowan I, Kernohan G, O’Neill, S. The unmet support needs of family members caring for a suicidal person. Journal of Mental Health. 2016;25:212-16.
25.
26.
Bowen M. Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. New York (Aronson): Rowman & Littlefield Publishers: 1978.
27.
Assimeng JM. Social structure of Ghana: A study in persistence and change. Ghana Publishing Corporation;1999.
28.
Olson DH, DeFrain J. Marriage and the family: diversity and strengths. Mayfield Publishing Co 2000. Accessed 15 Jan 2015.
29.
Adler RB, Rosenfeld LB, Towne N. Interplay: the process of interpersonal communication.6th ed. Forth Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers; 1995.
30.
31.
Van Dyk GAJ, Nefale MC. The split-ego experience of Africans: Ubuntu therapy as a healing alternative. J Psychother Integr. 2005;15:48.CrossRef
32.
Nukunya GK. Transition and change in Ghana. Accra: Ghana Universities Press; 2003.
33.
Akotia CS, Knizek BL, Kinyanda E, Hjelmeland H. “I have sinned”: understanding the role of religion in the experiences of suicide attempters in Ghana. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. 2013; doi: 10.​1080/​13674676.​2013.​829426.
34.
Osafo J, Hjelmeland H, Akotia CS, Knizek BL. The meaning(s) of suicidal behavior to psychology students: a qualitative approach to understanding suicidal behavior in Ghana. J Transcultural Psychiatry. 2011a;48:1–17.
35.
Smith JA, Flowers P, Osborn M. Interpretative phenomenological analysis and the psychology of health and illness. Material Discourses Health Illness. 1997;11:68–91.
36.
Smith JA, Flowers P, Larkin M. Interpretative phenomenological analysis: theory. Method and Research London: Sage; 2009.
37.
Creswell JW, Miller DL. Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory Pract. 2000;39:124–30.CrossRef
38.
39.
Galdas PM, Cheater F, Marshall P. Men and health help-seeking behaviour: literature review. J Adv Nurs. 2005;49:616–23.CrossRefPubMed
40.
von Dawans B, Fischbacher U, Kirschbaum C, Fehr E, Heinrichs M. The social dimension of stress reactivity acute stress increases prosocial behavior in humans. Psychol Sci. 2012;23:651–60.CrossRef
41.
Ellison CG, Boardman JD, Williams DR, Jackson JS. Religious involvement, stress, and mental health: findings from the 1995 Detroit area study. Social Forces. 2001;80:215–49.CrossRef
42.
Mugisha J, Hjelmeland H, Kinyanda E, Knizek BL. Distancing: a traditional mechanism of dealing with suicide among the Baganda. Uganda Transcultural Psychiatry. 2011;48:624–42.CrossRefPubMed
43.
44.
Hawton K, Zahl D, Weatherall R. Suicide following deliberate self-harm: long-term follow-up of patients who presented to a general hospital. Br J Psychiatry. 2003;182:537–42.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Owens D, Horrocks J, House A. Fatal and non-fatal repetition of self-harm. Br J Psychiatry. 2002;181:193–9.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Frey LM, Hans JD, Cerel J. An interpretive phenomenological inquiry of family and friend reactions to suicide disclosure. J Marital Fam Ther. 2016;43:159-72.
47.
Orbach I, Mikulincer M, Sirota P, Gilboa-Schechtman E. Mental pain: A multidimensional operationalization and definition. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2003;33:219–30.CrossRefPubMed
48.
Colucci E, Lester D. Suicide and culture: understanding the context. Eds. Massachusetts Avenue: Hogrefe Publishing; 2012.
49.
Hjelmeland H. Cultural context is crucial in suicide research and prevention. Crisis. 2011;32:61–4.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Barrero SAP. Preventing suicide: a resource for the family. Ann General Psychiatry. 2008;7:1.CrossRef
51.
Leenaars AA, Edwin S. Shneidman on suicide. Suicidology Online. 2010;1:5–18.
52.
53.
Rüsch N, Zlati A, Black G, Thornicroft G. Does the stigma of mental illness contribute to suicidality? Br J Psychiatry. 2014;205:257–9.CrossRefPubMed
54.
McKeon R. Suicidal behavior. Ashalnd: Hogrefe Publishing; 2009.
55.
Joiner TE Jr, Van Orden KA, Witte TK, Rudd MD. The interpersonal theory of suicide: guidance for working with suicidal clients. Am Psychol Assoc. 2009; p. 109-110.
56.
Metadata
Title
The experiences of attempt survivor families and how they cope after a suicide attempt in Ghana: a qualitative study
Authors
Winifred Asare-Doku
Joseph Osafo
Charity S. Akotia
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1336-9

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

BMC Psychiatry 1/2017 Go to the issue

Research article

Validation of the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10) in Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans populations in South Africa

Research article

Association of atopic dermatitis with depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors among adolescents in Korea: the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Research article

Does the number of previous mood episodes moderate the relationship between alcohol use, smoking and mood in bipolar outpatients?

Study protocol

Internet-based attentional bias modification training as add-on to regular treatment in alcohol and cannabis dependent outpatients: a study protocol of a randomized control trial

Research article

Does continuous trusted adult support in childhood impart life-course resilience against adverse childhood experiences - a retrospective study on adult health-harming behaviours and mental well-being

Research article

Emotional crisis in a naturalistic context: characterizing outpatient profiles and treatment effectiveness