Crippled with Remorse and Judgment of Others: A Phenomenological Study of Suicide Attempts in Men Dealing with Substance Use

Abstract

Background: Suicide is one of the biggest concerns of the World Health Organization. Every year, around 703,000 people end their lives. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide a phenomenological study of suicide attempts in men dealing with substance use. Methods: This is a qualitative study with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The participants of this study were 12 men who had a history of substance use and suicide attempts. The participants were chosen through an objective sampling method to participate in semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed by the seven-stage Diekelmann et al. (1989) analysis method. Results: The participants' experiences were analyzed on two separate themes. The first theme was "inefficient personality traits," having the two sub-themes of "impulsive behavior" and "emotional instability." The second theme was "the stigma related to addiction." Furthermore, this study resulted in a constitutive pattern known as crippled with remorse and judgment of others. Conclusions: Inefficient personality traits and the stigma related to addiction drive men with substance use to suicide attempts, and they are prone to commit suicide again if these conditions continue to prevail. Mental health consultants and psychiatrists can take effective measures to reduce and prevent suicide attempts if they consider this study's findings.