“We are like lemmings”: making sense of the cultural meaning(s) of suicide among the indigenous Sami in Sweden

Abstract

BackgroundSuicide is a widespread problem among indigenous people residing in the circumpolar Arctic. Though the situation among the indigenous Sami in northern Scandinavia is better than among some other indigenous people, suicide is still regarded as a major public health issue. To adapt prevention strategies that are culturally attuned one must understand how suicide is understood within context. That is, the cultural meaning(s) of suicide.ObjectiveTo explore and make sense of the cultural meaning(s) of suicide among Sami in Sweden.DesignOpen-ended focus group discussions (FGDs) on the topic “suicide among Sami” were carried out in 5 Sami communities in Sweden, with in total 22 strategically selected Sami participants. FGDs were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed through employing content analysis.ResultsFrom the FGDs 4 themes emerged including “The Sami are fighting for their culture and the herders are in the middle of the fight,” “Suicide as a consequence of Sami losing (or having lost) their identity,” “A wildfire in the Sami world” and “Difficult to get help as a Sami.”ConclusionsFindings indicate that Sami in Sweden make sense of suicide in relation to power and identity within a threatened Sami cultural context. Suicide is then understood as an act that takes place and makes sense to others when a Sami no longer has the power to maintain a Sami identity, resulting in being disconnected from the Sami world and placed in an existential void where suicide is a solution. The findings are useful in development of culturally attuned suicide prevention among Sami in Sweden.

“If you do not birget [manage] then you don’t belong here”: a qualitative focus group study on the cultural meanings of suicide among Indigenous Sámi in arctic Norway

“…Qualitative methodology is well suited to consider cultural and contextual issues in relation to suicide [14,15,19]. Focus group discussions (FGDs) have previously been used to investigate cultural understandings of suicide in specific populations [20,21], also among Indigenous peoples in the Arctic [22][23][24]. The study by Stoor et al [24] explored the cultural meanings of suicide among Sámi in Sweden and found that it was understood to be connected to difficulties of maintaining Sámi identity, i.e.…”

“…Focus group discussions (FGDs) have previously been used to investigate cultural understandings of suicide in specific populations [20,21], also among Indigenous peoples in the Arctic [22][23][24]. The study by Stoor et al [24] explored the cultural meanings of suicide among Sámi in Sweden and found that it was understood to be connected to difficulties of maintaining Sámi identity, i.e. to maintain the traditional reindeer herding culture in face of difficulties posed by modern society and lack of (Sámi) political power.…”

Suicide among reindeer herding Sámi in Sweden, 1961–2017

“…Fourthly, men might run a higher risk, as they are more often directly responsible for the herding business in the family. Fifthly, the focus on independence and autonomy in male gender roles is perhaps leading males into a gender trap, where they cannot ask for help or solve their personal problems [9,10,20]. This is especially worrisome as the only study on mental health in the reindeer herding population in Sweden found that almost 40% of reindeer herding men reported clinically relevant (mild to severe) levels of anxiety symptoms, as measured with the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) [21].…”

“…Also, sociocultural dynamics such as traditional "hardening" up-bringing styles, lateral violence and multiplex relations among Sámi are being discussed in the Sámi discourse on suicide. The small, tight-knit Sámi community may result in many bereaved by each case of suicide [9,10].…”

“…Two small clusters of suicide among young male reindeer herders during the last decades made suicide a matter of great concern in the Sámi community. The authors have been engaged in a number of projects over time to study and contribute to prevent further suicides [7][8][9][10]. There is an urgent need for more data on the nature of reindeer herder suicide in Sweden [11,12].…”