Journal article
Suicide prevention from a public health perspective. What makes life meaningful? The opinion of some suicidal patients
- Costanza A Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy. alessandra.costanza@unige.ch.
- Amerio A Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. Mood Disorders Program, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, USA.. andrea.amerio@studenti.unipr.it.
- Odone A Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. odone.anna@hsr.it.
- Baertschi M Service of General Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Nant Foundation, Montreux, Switzerland. marc.baertschi@nant.ch.
- Richard-Lepouriel H Service of Psychiatric Specialties, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. helene.richard-lepouriel@hcuge.ch.
- Weber K Division of Institutional Measures, Medical Direction, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. kerstin.weber@hcuge.ch.
- Di Marco S Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy. sarah.dimarco@ospedale.al.it.
- Prelati M Department of Psychiatry, ASO Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy. mprelati@ospedale.al.it.
- Aguglia A Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. andrea_aguglia@yahoo.it.
- Escelsior A Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. andrea.escelsior@live.com.
- Serafini G Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. gianluca.serafini@unige.it.
- Amore M Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy. mario.amore@unige.it.
- Pompili M Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it.
- Canuto A Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland. alessandra.canuto@unige.ch.
- 2020-04-11
Published in:
- Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis. - 2020
English
BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK
Suicide is a worldwide phenomenon, with a relevant number of victims. Moreover, repercussions of suicidality-across its entire spectrum-involve not only the individual but also survivors and communities, in a profound and lasting way. As such, suicidality represents a crucial public mental health concern, in which risk/protection factors' study represent a key issue. However, research primarily focused on suicidality risk factors. This study, moving from Frankl's first observations on "Meaning in Life" (MiL) as protective against suicidality, aimed to identify the main themes that suicidal patients identified as MiL carriers, or potential carriers, in their existences.
METHODS
Qualitative study on 144 patients admitted to the Geneva University Hospital's emergency department for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). Results: Interpersonal/affective relationships constituted the main theme (71.53%), with emphasis on family (39.80%), children/grandchildren (36.89%). Profession/education, intellectual/non-intellectual pleasures, and transcendental dimension also emerged.
CONCLUSIONS
These aspects could be considered among a public health agenda's points for suicide prevention programs taking into account also protective factors promotion/support, including community's mental health resources. Reconnecting to introduction's historical part, our findings are consistent with Frankl's observations. Even if exposed to "absurd" and reluctant to deliberate on this, he seems approach Camus conceptualization who, confronted to the necessity of predictable and conform to recognizable personal patterns transcending chaos for a sense-giving perspective, invited to imagine that a meaning, even a "non-absolute meaning", may lie in apparent smallest things and that Sisyphus can have "the possibility to revolt by trying to be happy".
Suicide is a worldwide phenomenon, with a relevant number of victims. Moreover, repercussions of suicidality-across its entire spectrum-involve not only the individual but also survivors and communities, in a profound and lasting way. As such, suicidality represents a crucial public mental health concern, in which risk/protection factors' study represent a key issue. However, research primarily focused on suicidality risk factors. This study, moving from Frankl's first observations on "Meaning in Life" (MiL) as protective against suicidality, aimed to identify the main themes that suicidal patients identified as MiL carriers, or potential carriers, in their existences.
METHODS
Qualitative study on 144 patients admitted to the Geneva University Hospital's emergency department for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). Results: Interpersonal/affective relationships constituted the main theme (71.53%), with emphasis on family (39.80%), children/grandchildren (36.89%). Profession/education, intellectual/non-intellectual pleasures, and transcendental dimension also emerged.
CONCLUSIONS
These aspects could be considered among a public health agenda's points for suicide prevention programs taking into account also protective factors promotion/support, including community's mental health resources. Reconnecting to introduction's historical part, our findings are consistent with Frankl's observations. Even if exposed to "absurd" and reluctant to deliberate on this, he seems approach Camus conceptualization who, confronted to the necessity of predictable and conform to recognizable personal patterns transcending chaos for a sense-giving perspective, invited to imagine that a meaning, even a "non-absolute meaning", may lie in apparent smallest things and that Sisyphus can have "the possibility to revolt by trying to be happy".
- Language
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- English
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.23750/abm.v91i3-S.9417
- PMID 32275277
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/242906
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