title: An escape from agony: a qualitative psychological autopsy study of women's suicide in a post-conflict northern Uganda.
abstract: We set out to investigate suicide among women in a post-conflict context in Northern Uganda using qualitative psychological autopsy interviews. Three to five relatives and friends for each of the three suicides recruited were interviewed (N=11). Through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) we found that the women all had been through traumatic experiences attributable to the protracted war/conflict between the rebel groups and Ugandan Government armed forces. Nevertheless, the decision of self-inflicted death seemed to have been due to a combination of unpleasant experiences/events that prevailed within the last 3 months prior to the suicide. These experiences are summarized in two broad themes: No control in life and No care. Changes in the traditional gender roles, men's quest for their lost masculinity, and women's attempt to fight for their rights that was perceived as a cultural transgression contributed to the women's suicides.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. d_kizza@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kizza
authors.forename: Birthe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loa Knizek
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kinyanda
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hjelmeland
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult