Challenges faced by families living with persons who have attempted suicide and the need for social work intervention in South Africa

The scourge of attempted and complete suicide is on the rise in South Africa and globally. While significant attention has been given to identifying the causes of attempted suicide, treatment and rehabilitation of suicide attempters, the challenges faced by families living with persons who have attempted suicide have received peripheral attention. This study aimed to explore the challenges faced by families living with persons who have attempted suicide using social work lenses. The qualitative research approach was adopted, and it operated within the tradition of the phenomenological design. Five families and 10 social workers were purposively selected to share their views. Semi-structured interviews were utilised as data acquisition methods. The data were analysed following the Thematic Content Analysis. The findings revealed that families living with persons who have attempted suicide grappled with challenges such as psychological destabilisation, which impacted their well-being. To other families, the aftermath of suicide attempts impacted communication patterns, where they struggled to have meaningful conversations with persons who attempted suicide. Furthermore, the study found no dedicated social work services for families, despite families being asked to share more information about the family setting to help the social worker better understand the patient. Social workers acknowledged and committed to providing aftercare services to assist families in navigating the aftermath of attempted suicide. These findings are fundamental in assisting social workers to reimagine the scope of their services towards holistic interventions that include attempted suicide patients and their families.