ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The suicide rate in Guyana was five times higher than the world average in 2014 (WHO) which puts Guyana at the top of the list with 44.2 per 100,000 people, the highest suicide rate in the world. For every completed suicide, there are survivors who experience high levels of psychological, physical, and social distress, and report feelings of guilt, shame, social stigma, and search for meaning. AIM: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how family members coped and understand the suicide of their loved one, and to determine what resources were available to help them during this transition. METHOD: Ten family members were recruited to participate in a focus group. The focus group lasted approximately 90â¯min and was recorded. The audio recordings were later transcribed. RESULTS: Four overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) perceived causes of suicide, (2) perceived solutions, (3) barriers to helping persons who are suicidal, and (4) personal and community reactions to suicide. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses in Guyana are uniquely positioned to take a leadership role in creating and implementing postvention programs for suicide survivors that are culturally and ethnically relevant. Opportunities to partner with schools of nursing in higher income countries are explored.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Family/psychology , Social Stigma , Suicide/ethnology , Survivors/psychology , Adult , Female , Focus Groups , Guyana , Humans , Male , Social SupportABSTRACT
Guyana, an English-speaking country on the north coast of South America, has the highest suicide rate in the world. Nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team working with patients experiencing psychological distress and are uniquely qualified to add to the discourse on factors contributing to the high suicide rate in Guyana. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of nurses and nurse assistants in Guyana related to suicide. Nine registered nurses and nurse assistants who worked at a private hospital in Georgetown, Guyana, were recruited to participate in a focus group. The focus group lasted approximately 70 minutes and was recorded. The audio recordings were later transcribed word for word. Four themes emerged from the data: family issues as they relate to the high suicide rate, suicide attempts as a cry for help, lack of support, and coping mechanisms used by nurses when caring for victims of attempted suicide. Nurses are uniquely positioned to intervene with families in crisis, whether it be suicide, suicide attempts, or the underlying factors of family dysfunction, child maltreatment, poverty, or alcoholism. Establishing forensic nursing as a specialty in Guyana would validate this important role through education and certification of nurses.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Suicide/ethnology , Adaptation, Psychological , Attention , Family Conflict , Focus Groups , Guyana , Humans , Motivation , Social Stigma , Social SupportABSTRACT
Little is known about the relationships between spiritual resources and life attitudes of homeless African American women. Spiritual resources may serve as protective factors for women leaving homelessness. This descriptive study examines spiritual resources, life attitudes, and selected demographics of 160 African American women who were homeless in the Midwestern United States. Participants ranged in age from 30-62 years of age and reported being homeless 1-9 times, with a mean of 1.94 (SD = 1.53) times. The authors draw inferences for how spiritual resources and life attitudes can influence women's efforts to leave homelessness and identify implications for nursing practice.
