This study sought to explore the experiences and challenges faced by families living with persons who have attempted suicide. This study was conducted against the backdrop of lack of services dedicated to families living with persons who have attempted suicide despite them grappling with diverse emotional challenges. The study was conducted in the Tshwane District Municipality in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The Family Systems Theory, Resilience Theory and Strengths-Based Perspective were used as theoretical lenses. The interpretive paradigm was utilised which informed the adoption of the qualitative approach. The phenomenological and descriptive research designs were also adopted. Purposive sampling technique was utilised to select social workers and families. A sample of five families and ten social workers was selected. Data were collected through family interviews and semi-structured interviews. The Thematic Content Analysis was employed to analyse the data.
Financial problems, broken family relationships, childhood traumas, failure to cope with newly diagnosed chronic disease, gender-based violence, substance and alcohol abuse were perceived to be the causes of attempted suicide. Anger and frustration, shock and disbelief, fear and uncertainty, isolation and stigma, as well as an opportunity to learn about mental health formed part of the experiences of these families. Psychological destabilisation, impact on communication patterns and lack of support from social workers emerged as challenges faced by these families. Support groups and seeking divine help from churches and traditional healers were used as coping strategies. Social workers identified the need to include services for families of patients who attempted suicide and shift from focusing on the patients alone. The study concludes that the attempted suicide discourse requires a holistic approach in terms of interventions that consider the needs for suicide attempters and their families. The study findings were used to develop social work intervention guidelines for families living with persons who have attempted suicide. The guidelines emphasise the importance of social work professional development on attempted suicide as a way of equipping them with knowledge to enable them to provide a meaningful service to the affected people. For future research, it is recommended that broader studies be conducted, utilising research methods that allow larger samples so that the
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experiences and challenges of families can be documented at a larger scale across South Africa.
Ndzavisiso lowu wu ringetile ku lavisisa mintokoto ni mintlhontlho leyi mindyangu leyi tshamaka ni vanhu lava va ringeteke ku tidlaya yi hlanganaka na yona. Ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwe eMugangeni wa Tshwane eXifundzheni xa Gauteng eAfrika Dzonga. Ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhisile Family Systems Theory, Resilience Theory na Strengths-Based Perspective tanihi tihlolo ta kona. Ku tirhisiwe endlelo ro hlamusela leri endleke leswaku ku tirhisiwa endlelo ra nkoka. Ku tlhele ku amukeriwa endlelo ra ndzavisiso wa swilo leswi endlekaka ni ndlela leyi swi hlamuseriwaka ha yona. Ku hlawuriwe vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu ni mindyangu hi ku tirhisa endlelo ro hlawula hi xikongomelo. Ku hlawuriwe mindyangu ya ntlhanu ni vatirhi va khume va nhlayiso wa vanhu. Vuxokoxoko byi hlengeletiwe hi ku vulavurisana ni mindyangu ni hi ku vulavurisana ni vanhu lava nga ni ntokoto. Nkambisiso wa Tinhloko-mhaka wu tirhisiwile ku kambisisa rungula leri. Nkambisiso wa Vuxokoxoko bya Nhloko-mhaka wu tirhisiwile ku kambela vuxokoxoko
Swiphiqo swa timali, ku hahluka ka vuxaka bya ndyangu, ku vaviseka ka le vuhlangini, ku tsandzeka ku langutana ni vuvabyi lebyi nga tshungulekiki hi ku olova, madzolonga ya rimbewu, ku tirhisa swidzidzirisi hi ndlela yo biha ni ku nwa byalwa ku tlula mpimo, a swi tekiwa swi ri swona leswi vangaka ku ringeta ku tidlaya. Ku hlundzuka ni ku pfilunganyeka, ku hlamala ni ku nga kholwi, ku chava ni ku nga tiyiseki, ku tihambanisa ni vanhu van'wana ni ku va ni tingana, swin'we ni ku kuma nkarhi wo dyondza hita rihanyo ra mianakanyo, a ku ri swin'wana swa swilo leswi humeleleke mindyangu leyi. Ku pfilunganyeka emiehleketweni, ku khumbeka ka ndlela leyi va vulavurisanaka ha yona ni ku pfumaleka ka nseketelo wa vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu swi tikombile swi ri swiphiqo leswi mindyangu leyi yi langutaneke na swona. Mintlawa ya nseketelo ni ku lava mpfuno wa Xikwembu etikerekeni ni le ka vatshunguri va ndhavuko swi tirhisiwe tanihi tindlela to langutana ni xiyimo lexi. Vatirhi va nhlayiso wa vanhu va vone swi fanerile ku katsa ni ku pfuna mindyangu ya vavabyi lava ringeteke ku tidlaya ni ku tshika ku khathalela vavabyi ntsena. Leswi kumiweke eka ndzavisiso lowu swi tirhisiwe ku endla swiletelo swa ku pfuna vanhu lava nga tshama va ringeta ku tidlaya. Swiletelo leswi swi tiyisisa nkoka wa ku hluvukisiwa ka ntirho wa vanhu eka ku ringeta ku tidlaya tanihi ndlela yo va nyika vutivi lebyi nga ta va endla va kota ku pfuna vanhu lava khumbekeke. Eka ndzavisiso lowu nga ta endliwa nkarhi lowu taka, ku bumabumeriwa
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leswaku ku endliwa tidyondzo to tala, ku tirhisiwa tindlela to endla ndzavisiso leti nga ta pfumelela tisampuli letikulu leswaku mintokoto ni mintlhontlho ya mindyangu swi ta tsariwa hi mpimo lowukulu eAfrika Dzonga hinkwayo.
