Experiences lived by family members of people who committed suicide: approach to biographic narratives.

Abstract

To understand the experiences of family members of people who committed suicide and describe the typologies of the biographical cases through the approach of biographical interviews and analysis. Qualitative research, with a reconstructive approach to Rosenthal's biographical cases, based on Schutz's phenomenological sociology. Biographical narrative interviews were conducted between November/2017 and February/2018, in a city in southern Brazil, with eleven family members of people who survived suicide. The analysis followed the phases of Rosenthal's biographical case reconstruction. The reconstruction of two biographical cases were presented. The results point to two distinct typologies: maternal role in the face of suicide and social stigmatization; use of the cultural meaning of family as a resource for coping with suicide. It is important to listen to these family members, as the understanding of their experiences can support health professionals in the implementation of care actions.