| Abstract [eng] |
Suicide among the elderly is a very pressing problem in Lithuania at the moment although it has not been studied much. This study aims to better understand what we already know about suicide among the elderly. The aim of this study is to understand how older people undergo suicide-related experiences. The study involved performing semi-structured interviews with 9 older people (ages 65 to 86 years old, identified as suicidal according to the staff that takes care of them) and 3 close ones of the elderly victims that died by suicide for the psychological autopsy. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis in a realist, inductive and semantic way (Braun ir Clarke (2006; 2021). During the analysis, 4 topics about suicide-related experiences among the elderly were generated: „The Loss of Autonomy”, „Avoidance Strategies”, „Stoicism in the Context of Life‘s Struggles” and „Experiencing the Loss of Connection”. This study provided insights into which struggles the elderly face, how they handle them and what their role in the process of the suicide is. Additionally, the results of the study can help direct future studies on this topic as well as provide practical recommendations for people who work with or encounter suicidal elderly. |
