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Disconnection, reconnection and autonomy

Four young South African men’s experience of attempting suicide

Bibliographic Data

ID12601509
AuthorsBirte Linda Meissner (Stellenbosch University, corresponding author), Jason Bantjes (0000-0002-3626-9883, Stellenbosch University)
Year2016
Volume20
Issue7
Pages781-797
Publication date2016-12-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Youth Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1367-6261 • E-ISSN: 1469-9680
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13676261.2016.1273512
OpenAlexW2563324494
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited34

Although young men are considered to be at particular risk of completing suicide in South Africa, very little is known about the reasons for this, or the way in which young men understand their own suicidal behaviour. In this study we set out to explore and describe the subjective experiences of four young South African men who had previously attempted suicide. Interviews were conducted and transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants’ accounts of suicidal behaviour revealed a struggle for relatedness and autonomy. Two major themes were identified: (1) ‘Turning away from others and self’, which describes how participants disconnect from close others and from self, prior to attempting suicide as an act of autonomy; and (2) ‘Returning to self and others’, which describes the process of healing and recovery from being suicidal through re-connecting with others and gaining a healthy sense of autonomy. The findings are discussed using the framework of autonomy-relatedness proposed by Kagitcibasi

Autonomy · Developmental psychology · Disconnection · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Poison control · Political science · Qualitative research · Set (abstract data type · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Family Support in Illness · Medicine · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Social Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

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Unique citing works3
Citations per year1
Citation span2023 - 2025 (3)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 3
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