title: "It's Either Do It or Die".
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of self-management of suicidality was investigated as part of a larger qualitative study of suicidality among people with experience of mental illness in New Zealand.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand how people self-manage suicidality, why they self-manage, and the effects that self-management may have on suicidal thoughts and behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty seven people with experience of mental illness and suicidality were interviewed. A narrative thematic analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People had either drifted into self-management (while still using or instead of using mental health services) or chosen self-management because they were unhappy with mental health services, desired independence, or had difficulty accessing services. Self-management of suicidality included: using active ways to reduce, distract, and protect themselves from suicidal thoughts and feelings; practical ways of looking after themselves; reframing thoughts; getting to know themselves better; and peer support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-management of suicidality can encourage independence and resilience, a sense of citizenship, mutuality, and achievement.
authors.affiliation: 1 Social Psychiatry and Population Mental Health Research Unit, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Debbie H M
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Sunny C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Collings
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: mental illness; self-management; suicidality