Thesis (Ph.D.(Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Suicide is one of the major global public health challenges, with evidence showing
that an interplay of multiple factors leads to someone taking their life. While suicide is
often a solitary act, its impact on other people is far-reaching. When someone
commits suicide, family and friends are almost always left behind to grieve, trying to
understand the reasons for the suicide and having to learn to continue with their lives.
Because suicide happens within families, its impact on the remaining members is of
paramount importance. Understanding the impact of suicide on the surviving family
members is a critical step in determining how to assist survivors. The study
comprised eleven (11) participants who were all nuclear family members bereaved
by suicide in the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. They were all
from the Sepedi-speaking ethnic group. Data was collected through in-depth, semi structured, individual face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was done through the
use of Hycner’s phenomenological explication process. The following themes were
extracted from the participants’ case studies: knowledge of suicide; causes of suicide;
methods used in the act; the impact of suicide on the family; prevention of suicide;
coping strategies; grief following suicide and grief following other causes of death;
concerns about the topic of suicide; and, suggestions in terms of support for suicide
bereaved families.
The current study reveals that there is still a lot of secrecy around psychological
problems which lead people to suicide with the survivors not knowing who or what to
blame. It is also evident from the findings that suicide bereaved people tended to be
psychologically disturbed, less likeable and more blameworthy than non-suicidally
bereaved. The psychological impact experienced includes depression, self-blame,
aggression, suicidal ideations and also resulting in hospitalisation for some. Suicide
can lead to longer and more complicated grief reactions because family members
cannot share their experiences or thoughts, particularly the feelings of guilt that they
are struggling with. The stigma from society does not make it any easier for survivors
to deal with their grief, leading them to isolate themselves with fear of being judged.
Based on the study findings, a culturally informed psychological model of suicide
bereavement was developed to explain the lived experiences of African family v
members bereaved by suicide. The model incorporates some ideas from Bowen’s
structural family theory and the Afrocentric theory. This model proposes that suicide
may cause a break-up within the family system and that cultural beliefs may be
unfavourable in some instances. For instance, in this study, it was found that some
Africans still believe that suicide is a taboo and a curse, which contradicts the
psychological importance of viewing the victim’s body by family members. Being
unable to view the deceased causes complications in the bereavement process,
which leads to psychological problems. It further proposes that African culture is
broad and still follows the norms and values in most situations, while these norms
and values also play a role in the outcome of the bereavement process. These
norms and values may lead to a breakdown of the family structure, leaving them with
conflicts or complicated grief, leading to more psychological problems.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/3369 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Mokgoadi, Beatrice Dorcus |
| Contributors | Sodi, T., Nkoana, S. E. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiv, 156 leaves |
| Relation |
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