Being Trapped in a Circle: Life after a Suicide Attempt in Taiwan

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how suicidal patients experienced their lives after attempted suicide. Ten participants were recruited from a medical center in Taiwan and were interviewed over a 5-month period about their experiences and feelings after their suicide attempts. Participants suffered from “being trapped in a circle” through three main avenues: (a) being controlled by others versus striving to live for one-self, (b) being rebuffed by others versus seeking company and being loved, and (c) wanting to leave family versus feeling responsible for family. These three themes were conceptualized under a broader theme of alienation versus connectedness. Cultural values, mientze (saving face), and hsiao (filial piety) influenced where those Chinese who had attempted suicide were located in the dimension between alienation and connectedness.

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