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This is a Observational study (also classified as: Literature Review).

August 21, 2025Open Access

Insight Into the Role of Protestant Christianity in the Experience of Living With a Suicidal Relative: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

Puntos clave

Religious beliefs significantly influence the emotional experiences of relatives living with suicidality, shaping their coping mechanisms.
Key themes included acceptance of suicidality and seeking God's help, revealing contrasting effects of faith on emotional well-being.
Conducted through interviews with Christian relatives, the study emphasizes the need for integrating spiritual support in mental health care.
Findings highlight the importance of training nurses in spiritual care to enhance support for relatives experiencing suicidality.

Resumen

ABSTRACT Introduction Living with a suicidal relative impacts multiple life aspects. However, it is not known how religious beliefs and meaning‐making influence relatives' experiences. Aim This study aimed to develop a theoretical framework to understand the role of religion in the experiences of Christian relatives living with a suicidal loved one. Methods A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted, adhering to the COREQ checklist. Fifteen interviews were conducted with seventeen Christian relatives of suicidal individuals. Results Four themes emerged—acceptance of suicidality, seeking and experiencing God's help, surrendering to God, and religion's influence on relationships—forming a framework on how relatives' religious convictions about suicide and the intensity of their personal relationship with God influenced to what extent religion was helpful or harmful. Discussion Christian faith provided peace of mind and support to relatives who had a personal relationship with God and believed their loved one would go to heaven. Relatives who believed their loved one would go to hell due to suicide and lacked a relationship with God experienced guilt and fear, making them vulnerable to harm from religion. Implications for Practice Educational institutions and policymakers should specifically empower nurses to discuss spiritual issues when supporting relatives of suicidal individuals. Relevance Statement This study offers valuable insight into the role of religious beliefs and meaning‐making influencing the experiences of Christian relatives living with a suicidal loved one. It highlights religion‘s role in their coping processes. The findings equip mental health nurses with a deeper understanding of religious coping strategies, enabling them to provide better support to relatives. Integrating spirituality/religion into support allows nurses to respond more holistically to relatives‘ needs, potentially improving their well‐being and resilience. Spiritual care is a part of nursing, but nurses feel unprepared. It is recommended that education and policy focus on nurses to better support relatives.

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