The impact of chronic illness in suicidality: a qualitative exploration.
Objectives: To explore the experiences of patients with chronic physical illness in relation to suicidal behaviours and ideas.Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.Methods: Fourteen patients with either multiple sclerosis or stage 5 chronic kidney disease were interviewed. Grounded theory was used to analyse the data.Results: Suicidal ideation was commonly reported by the study participants, and the relationship between the impact of a chronic physical illness, suicidality and risk factors was described. Several participants reported having planned suicide attempts as a consequence of finding living with their illness intolerable, and some had used non-adherence to treatment as a deliberate method to end their life.Conclusion: The findings suggest suicidality may be a relatively common experience in those with chronic illness facing a future of further losses, and that alongside passive thoughts of not being alive this may also include active thoughts about suicide. Health professionals should be alert to intentional non-adherence to treatment as an attempt to end one's life.
Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick , Coventry , UK.
Eleni
E
Karasouli
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds , Leeds , UK.
Gary
G
Latchford
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds , Leeds , UK.
David
D
Owens
chronic physical illness; grounded theory; non-adherence; qualitative; suicide