Text in Afrikaans / Selfmoord is 'n kontroversiele aangeleentheid wat beide omstanders en agterblywendes met onsekerheid vervul. 'n Belangrike rede hiervoor is dat dit 'n onnatuurlike afsterwe is wat teen baie mense se norme en waardes indruis. ldiografiese navorsing is onderneem om die belewenisse van agterblywende gesinslede te ondersoek aangesien hulle die eintlike slagoffers van 'n selfmoord is wat met 'n komplekse realiteit gelaat word. Die doel van die navorsing was om riglyne daar te stel vir die hantering en ondersteuning van hierdie mense. Vanuit 'n in-diepte literatuurstudie, het dit geblyk dat die grootste probleme waarmee agterblywendes gekonfronteer word, wentel random problematiese emosies, veroordeling deur omstanders en belewings van persoonlike onvermoe om te midde van intense rousmart selfaktualisering optimaal te volvoer. 'n Vraelys wat aspekte (socs dit uit die literatuurstudie geblyk het) inkorporeer, is opgestel en aan agterblywendes gegee om te beantwoord. Van die belangrikste elemente wat na vore gekom het, is dat intense verhoudingskomplikasies na 'n selfmoord figureer, dat agterblywendes 'n behoefte het om rouverwerking teen hul eie tempo te doen, dat agterblywendes verkies dat omstanders nie voortdurend die gebeure sal ontleed en soek na oorsake in die teenwoordigheid van agterblywendes nie en dat elke agterblywende persoon se roubelewing persoonlik en uniek is. 'n Hoofstuk is gewy aan 'n wye verskeidenheid terapeutiese tegnieke wat geimplementeer kan word tydens hulpverlening aan agterblywendes. Die studie beskryf ook 'n gevallestudie en die verloop van sestien individuele terapeutiese sessies. In die terapeutiese insette is daar hoofsaaklik gebruik gemaak van hipnoterapie as 'n vorm van ontspanningsterapie waartydens daar gelokus word op problematiese emosies en persepsies wat voortgesette kwalitatiewe selfaktualisering belemmer. In die studie word Opvoedkundige Sielkundige riglyne vir hulpverlening aan agterblywendes, wat benut kan word deur hulpverleners (soos sielkundiges, onderwysers en ander ondersteuningsisteme). verskaf. Die studie bevestig dat die agterblywendes as die werklike slagoffers na 'n selfmoord agtergelaat word, maar dat sinvolle intervensie hierdie persone in staat kan stel om ten spyte van die gebeure weer optimaal te selfaktualiseer. / Suicide is a controversial topic. It causes both bystanders and survivors to feel insecure. An important reason for this is that it is an unnatural death which directly opposes the norms and values of the majority of people. ldiografic research has been undertaken to closely examine the experiences of suicide survivors as they are the real victims who are left to cope with a complex reality after a suicide. The objective of this study was to provide guidelines to effectively manage and render assistance to survivors. From an in depth review of available literature it appeared that troubled emotions, being denounced by bystanders and the inability to proceed with continued qualitative self-actualization are some of the most important problems survivors have to cope with. A questionnaire, incorporating significant aspects reported in literature, was compiled and given to survivors to complete. From their responses certain facets seemed to be problematic. Among the more problematic aspects were complicated interpersonal relations, the basic need to grieve at their own pace, the preference that bystanders avoid analysing the suicide and possible contributing factors (especially in the presence of survivors) and the recognition that each survivor's grief is personal and unique. A chapter has been devoted to a wide range of therapeutic techniques that can be implemented to facilitate the support given to survivors. The study also describes a case study as well as the progression of sixteen individual therapy sessions. Therapeutic intervention was mainly based on hypnotherapy as a form of relaxation therapy during which the focus is placed on problematic emotions and perceptions which prevent continued qualitative self-actualization. Educational Psychological guidelines along which assistance can be rendered by psychologists, teachers as well as other support services are given. This study not only confirms that the survivors are the actual victims of a suicide, but also that it is possible to assist these people to achieve optimal self-actualization through meaningful intervention. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

The purpose of this study is to provide descriptions of conversations with survivors of suicide, including their relationships with the persons who committed suicide, the relationships that followed these deaths, their experiences of suicide, and the way that they made sense of these deaths. The epistemological framework of this dissertation is ecosystemic and social constructionist. This study involved in-depth interviews with three suicide survivors, exploring personal and professional domains. Thematic analysis was the method used to generate patterns of meaning. The researcher recounted the research participants' stories and punctuated emergent themes and patterns according to what she deemed important. Each story was contextualised, and included reflections of the researcher. Themes both common and unique to each participant story were highlighted and discussed. The information yielded from this study could have value to survivors of suicide and psychotherapists whose clients commit suicide. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

The purpose of this study is to provide descriptions of conversations with survivors of suicide, including their relationships with the persons who committed suicide, the relationships that followed these deaths, their experiences of suicide, and the way that they made sense of these deaths. The epistemological framework of this dissertation is ecosystemic and social constructionist. This study involved in-depth interviews with three suicide survivors, exploring personal and professional domains. Thematic analysis was the method used to generate patterns of meaning. The researcher recounted the research participants' stories and punctuated emergent themes and patterns according to what she deemed important. Each story was contextualised, and included reflections of the researcher. Themes both common and unique to each participant story were highlighted and discussed. The information yielded from this study could have value to survivors of suicide and psychotherapists whose clients commit suicide. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Cette thèse analyse la surmortalité par suicide sur le territoire du Pays COB au travers des facteurs psychosociaux et psychopathologiques et repose sur l'hypothèse d'interactions entre les conceptions sociales du suicide et les trajectoires personnelles des individus, freinant sa prévention. Une étude des représentations sociales du suicide montre qu’il existe des RS spécifiques en Bretagne et en Pays COB. L’étude des trajectoires de vie met en évidence une sur-représentation de la dépression et les troubles de la personnalité. On trouve aussi une faible estime de soi, une difficulté d'accès à la parole et à la demande d’aide, des violences transgénérationnelles et actuelles, un climat incestuel et une stigmatisation (auto et hétéro) liée aux RS du suicide, de la dépression et des « psy ». L’étude de l’effet d’un suicide montre qu’il a un impact sur les proches : traumatisme psychique individuel et familial, deuils traumatogènes. À la suite de ces résultats, des actions spécifiques pourront être menées sur ce territoire pour améliorer la prévention du suicide et des tentatives de suicide. / The present thesis analyzes the role of psychosocial and psychopathological factors in the abnormally high rate of deaths by suicide in the “Pays COB” territory. It is based on the hypothesis according to which the interactions between the social conceptions of suicide and the personal trajectories hinders suicide prevention. We studied the structure of social representations of suicide (SR) with Vergès’method (double analysis of the evocation rank) and uncover specific SR in Brittany and in “Pays COB”. A study of the life trajectories highlighted the excessive rate of depressions and personality disorders. We also found amoung suicide victims a weak self-esteem, a difficulty to talk and to ask for help, transgenerational and current violent tendencies, an incestual climate and (self-) stigmatization related to the SR of suicide, depression and psychiatric services. A study about the effect of a suicide showed that it has an impact on the close relatives: individual and family psychic trauma, traumatic grief. Following these results, specific actions can be carried out in this territory to improve the prevention of suicide and of suicide attempts.

Suicide and suicidal attempts have increased over the years and the phenomenon is rapidly increasing countrywide. The rate in increase has not been happe•ning only internationally, but has unsettlingly noted to be rising in South Africa, too. Suicidal attempt has become one of the biggest social problems amongst the youths, and a problem that society has to grapple with. According to the media and statistics presented, the youth engage with destructive behavior and attempted suicide is rampant amongst Black adolescents. The young person imitates his peers and is constantly under pressure to do as the group does. Thus conformity and acceptance are the core words. The adolescent attempts suicide to solve problems. Various reasons are given for suicidal attempts and the youth names amongst others family problems, academic issues, relationship problems and so forth. In the attempt to take own life. different methods are used to commit suicide which range from overdosage, especially amongst females, to ingestion of harmful substances like bleach (clothes detergent) and hair products. Amongst males, more drastic actions in method of attempting suicide are used like hanging, gunshot and jumping from high places like bridges and buildings. There are also instances of self-inflicted burning (immolation) in some cases. Black youths have been found in recent years to engage in suicide and suicidal tendencies, whereas in previous years the tendency was almost non-existent. This calls for an investigation in Black adolescents' way of life and specifically in what their needs are. The latter is drawn from the profile presented; a task which was not easy as there exist little or no literature in this regard. This study should thus be seen as a precursor for further and more comprehensive and exclusive research especially on the social functioning of Blacks and their communities, in general. The results should be used to have sustainable school programmes aimed at the youth in general, but specifically those at risk and displaying destructive behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Suicide and suicidal attempts have increased over the years and the phenomenon is rapidly increasing countrywide. The rate in increase has not been happe•ning only internationally, but has unsettlingly noted to be rising in South Africa, too. Suicidal attempt has become one of the biggest social problems amongst the youths, and a problem that society has to grapple with. According to the media and statistics presented, the youth engage with destructive behavior and attempted suicide is rampant amongst Black adolescents. The young person imitates his peers and is constantly under pressure to do as the group does. Thus conformity and acceptance are the core words. The adolescent attempts suicide to solve problems. Various reasons are given for suicidal attempts and the youth names amongst others family problems, academic issues, relationship problems and so forth. In the attempt to take own life. different methods are used to commit suicide which range from overdosage, especially amongst females, to ingestion of harmful substances like bleach (clothes detergent) and hair products. Amongst males, more drastic actions in method of attempting suicide are used like hanging, gunshot and jumping from high places like bridges and buildings. There are also instances of self-inflicted burning (immolation) in some cases. Black youths have been found in recent years to engage in suicide and suicidal tendencies, whereas in previous years the tendency was almost non-existent. This calls for an investigation in Black adolescents' way of life and specifically in what their needs are. The latter is drawn from the profile presented; a task which was not easy as there exist little or no literature in this regard. This study should thus be seen as a precursor for further and more comprehensive and exclusive research especially on the social functioning of Blacks and their communities, in general. The results should be used to have sustainable school programmes aimed at the youth in general, but specifically those at risk and displaying destructive behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

La problématique du suicide en milieu carcéral est connue et décrite dans plusieurs recherches. Toutefois les outils de dépistage du risque suicidaire ont surtout été développés pour des populations à risque non carcérales et la capacité de prédiction de ces échelles n'a été inférée qu'indirectement. Depuis un peu plus de dix ans, le questionnaire Suicide Probability Scale (Cull et Gill, 1988) est utilisée auprès de détenus québécois qui débutent une sentence fédérale. Cependant le survol de la littérature n'a pas permis de retrouver d'étude psychométrique liée à la validité prédictive de ce questionnaire auprès d'une population spécifiquement carcérale. L'objectif de la présente recherche était donc d'évaluer la valeur prédictive du questionnaire Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) auprès d'une population masculine carcérale.La recherche vise à vérifier si les détenus dépistés à risque modéré ou élevé en 1995-1996 par le SPS ont effectivement eu des comportements suicidaires par la suite, pendant qu'ils étaient encore sous la responsabilité des services correctionnels. Les résultats sont basés sur une période d'observation globale de 11 ans et demi (entre 1995 et 2006) et confirment que le SPS, dans sa forme actuelle, permet de prédire le comportement suicidaire. Une amélioration de la prédiction du risque suicidaire est démontrée si le point de découpage est modifié de 50 (point de démarcation actuel des auteurs du SPS) à 40 pour la clientèle spécifique des hommes incarcérés dans un pénitencier. Les résultats obtenus au SPS permettent aussi de dépister les détenus à risque de comportement hétéro-agressif en milieu carcéral. Le deuxième article a évalué la valeur prédictive de 24 variables actuarielles, connues en début de sentence, en combinaison avec le SPS, afin d'augmenter la prédiction et de la rendre plus spécifique en réduisant le nombre de faux négatifs.La capacité de prédiction a été analysée avec des modèles de régression logistique et la valeur sous la courbe ROC. L'ajout d'une ou de deux variables actuarielles permet d'améliorer le dépistage des comportements suicidaires sur une période de 24 mois et même de 120 mois.

Suicide is a major public health issue in the United States. Some studies show decreased suicide rates in religious populations, but it is unclear how religiosity might be linked to suicidal behavior of adolescents emerging into adulthood. To this point few studies have examined the relationship between adolescent suicidal ideation and several risk factors at once and the role of religiosity in these relationships. Drawing from Waves I-III of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health data from 1994 to 2002, I sought to explore the relationship between religiosity (i.e. religious affiliation, service attendance, prayer, perceived importance of religion) and suicidal ideation of adolescents over time. Additionally, associations between risk factors (i.e. poor parental relationship, low self-esteem, depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior of friends and family, drug use, alcohol use, aggressive behavior) and risk of suicidal ideation were assessed by simple logistic regression analyses. Multivariate analyses were then used to examine the relationships among the risk factors and suicidal ideation. In a second step of the multivariate analyses, religiosity was added to the model to test if there would be a change in the odds ratios. Results of the simple logistic regression indicated adolescents’ religiosity was negatively correlated with suicidal ideation, while the selected risk factors were positively correlated with suicidal ideation among adolescent participants. However, as participants became young adults, one religiosity measure (i.e. prayer) and one aggressive behavior measure (i.e. access to weapons) were no longer significantly related to their suicidal ideation. Also, females and Whites were more likely to report suicidal ideation than males or African Americans, respectively. In the multivariate models all the selected suicide risk factors were positively correlated with suicidal ideation. When religiosity was added to the model, it had a positive impact on aggressive behavior among older adolescents in Wave II (35% reduced risk) and drug use among younger adolescents in Wave I (14% reduced risk). Religiosity had marginal impact on the rest of the risk factors: 0.1% – 2.4% reduced risk in some and 0.2% – 1.6% increased risk in others in all 3 waves.

Researchers have investigated the role of hope as a protective factor against suicide. Of the 3 factors posited by Joiner's interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) to be necessary before suicide can occur, increased hope has been shown to reduce 2 (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness), but, counterintuitively, to increase the 3rd (acquired capability for suicide). A fuller understanding of this phenomenon may lie with Bernardo's locus-of-hope construct-pursuant to which hope may lie not only in one's own plans and capabilities (internal locus-of-hope) but in those of others (external locus-of-hope) but to date no study has researched the relationship between external locus-of-hope and acquired capability for suicide. The purpose of this quantitative study was to contribute to the understanding of hope and suicidality by examining the following research question: Is there a relationship between external locus-of-hope and acquired capability for suicide? The study used existing objective instruments to measure levels of hope and acquired capability for suicide. Data from a sample recruited online (N = 193) was analyzed using a 3-step hierarchical regression procedure designed to isolate the effects of external locus-of-hope on acquired capability for suicide. Results confirmed that internal locus-of-hope raises acquired capability for suicide and demonstrated that external locus-of-hope has the opposite effect: it is associated with lowered acquired capability for suicide. It follows that interventions designed to raise one's level of externally located hope have the potential to deter suicidal individuals from actualizing their plans. This study thus has implications for positive social change by contributing to the saving of lives.

Among indigenous populations, there is significant evidence that the rates of completed suicide are much higher than in the general population. The current study examines whether the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts differ when comparing an American Indian reservation sample to a US general population sample. Data were from the National Comorbidity Survey (n = 5,877) and the American Indian Service Utilization, Psychiatric Epidemiology, Risk and Protective Factors Project (N = 3,084). The current findings indicate that there are few differences in the likelihood of suicidal behavior in conjunction with particular disorders or traumas. However, American Indians appeared more likely to make a suicide attempt and less likely to have suicidal thoughts in their lifetime when compared with the general population. Although preliminary and exploratory, findings provide evidence that suicide interventions for indigenous populations may require modification based on differential risk factors for suicide. / October 2008