Sweeney Lorna, Owens Christabel, Malone Kevin
Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Health Soc Care Community. 2015 Mar;23(2):150-8. doi: 10.1111/hsc.12124. Epub 2014 Oct 16.
The potential for young men in crisis to be supported by their lay networks is an important issue for suicide prevention, due to the under-utilisation of healthcare services by this population. Central to the provision of lay support is the capability of social networks to recognise and respond effectively to young men's psychological distress and suicide risk. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore young men's narratives of peer suicide, in order to identify how they interpreted and responded to behavioural changes and indications of distress from their friend before suicide. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted during 2009/10 with 15 Irish males (aged 19-30 years) who had experienced the death by suicide of a male friend in the preceding 5 years. The data were analysed using a thematic approach. Through the analysis of the participants' stories and experiences, we identified several features of young male friendships and social interactions that could be addressed to strengthen the support available to young men in crisis. These included the reluctance of young men to discuss emotional or personal issues within male friendships; the tendency to reveal worries and emotion only within the context of alcohol consumption; the tendency of friends to respond in a dismissive or disapproving way to communication of suicidal thoughts; the difficulty of knowing how to interpret a friend's inconsistent or ambiguous behaviour prior to suicide; and beliefs about the sort of person who takes their own life. Community-based suicide prevention initiatives must enhance the potential of young male social networks to support young men in crisis, through specific provisions for developing openness in communication and responsiveness, and improved education about suicide risk.
由于处于危机中的年轻男性对医疗服务利用不足，他们从非专业社交网络获得支持的可能性成为自杀预防的一个重要问题。提供非专业支持的核心在于社交网络识别并有效应对年轻男性心理困扰和自杀风险的能力。这项定性研究的目的是探索年轻男性关于同伴自杀的叙述，以确定他们如何解读并应对朋友自杀前行为的变化和痛苦迹象。2009年至2010年期间，对15名爱尔兰男性（年龄在19至30岁之间）进行了深入的定性访谈，这些男性在过去5年中经历了男性朋友的自杀死亡。采用主题分析法对数据进行了分析。通过分析参与者的故事和经历，我们确定了年轻男性友谊和社交互动的几个特征，这些特征可以通过采取措施来加强，从而为处于危机中的年轻男性提供更多支持。这些特征包括：年轻男性不愿在男性友谊中讨论情感或个人问题；只在饮酒的情况下才倾向于透露担忧和情绪；朋友对自杀念头表达的回应往往是轻视或不赞成的；难以知道如何解读朋友自杀前前后不一致或模棱两可的行为；以及对自杀者类型的看法。基于社区的自杀预防举措必须通过制定具体措施来促进沟通的开放性和响应性，并加强关于自杀风险的教育，从而增强年轻男性社交网络支持处于危机中的年轻男性的潜力。
