Meaning Reconstruction Process After Suicide

Abstract

Although Japan has a high suicide rate, there is insufficient research on the experiences of suicide-bereaved individuals. We investigated the qualitative aspects of the meaning reconstruction process after a loss to suicide. We conducted a life-story interview using open-ended questions with one middle-aged Japanese woman who lost her son to suicide. We used a narrative approach to transcribe and code the participant's narratives for analysis. The analysis revealed three meaning groups that structured the participant's reactions to the suicide: making sense of her son's death and life, relationships with other people, and reconstruction of a bond with the deceased. The belief that death is not an eternal split and that there is a connection between the living and the deceased reduced the pain felt by our participant. Furthermore, the narratives worked as scaffolds in the meaning reconstruction process. We discuss our results in the light of cross-cultural differences in the grieving process.

Trying to keep alive a non‐traumatizing memory of the deceased: A meta‐synthesis on the interpretation of loss in suicide‐bereaved family members, their coping strategies and the effects on them

“…Yet, despite the fact that social isolation was the most common impact reported by the participants herein, Asian studies have not addressed this topic either at all (Tzeng et al, 2010) or in depth (Kawashima & Kawano, 2017). This may denote a significant cultural difference between Western countries and Eastern countries in terms of the factors that influence the experience of suicide bereavement.…”

“…An interaction between self‐blame and self‐torture was grounded on the basis of lack of logical explanation for the act. Characteristically, most of the participants believed that suicide was their fault, taking full responsibility for not preventing it, even if they had not noticed any warning signs, or were not aware of any suicide risk factors (Kawashima & Kawano, 2017; Ross et al, 2018; Spillane et al, 2018; Tzeng et al, 2010). Specifically, when the deceased was a teenager, the participant mothers considered that they were responsible for their child's suicide, which indicated a lack of confidence in themselves.…”

“…I couldn't save his life […], I will never forgive myself. (Kawashima & Kawano, 2017, pp. 364–365)Furthermore, there were participants who described a number of challenges related to parenthood, which eventually hindered them from being able to prevent the suicide (Barnes, 2006).…”

“…(Lee et al, 2019, p. 367)Furthermore, participants who received early support from family members, friends and significant others, felt grateful and considered it a helpful factor in the process of their mourning. Similarly, those who externalized “their inner world” to other members of the family described feelings of relief (Barnes, 2006; Begley & Quayle, 2007; Dutra et al, 2018; Kawashima & Kawano, 2017; Lee et al, 2019; Lindqvist et al, 2008; Ross et al, 2018; Tzeng et al, 2010).…”

“…In that case, the cultural value attached to maintaining the good image of the family in society may have played an important role in this attitude. One may conclude that suicide in collective countries, such as Japan and China, not only is it an individual failure of the deceased to cope with the problems but also a collective one, reflecting a defeat of the community to support those in need (Kawashima & Kawano, 2017; Tzeng et al, 2010).…”