Narratives of family members on the suicide of older adults in an Amazonian metropolis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the narratives of family members on the suicide of older adults in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil. METHODS: This is a qualitative study of the narratives of eight older adults, who committed suicide in the period of 2001-2012. In the analytic-interpretative process, we have tried to perform the hermeneutic double exercise: to interpret the interpretation of narrators. We have used as theoretical references authors who have investigated suicide from the perspective of gender and its correlations with the sociofamiliar context and with mental disorders. RESULTS: The family members would conceive the suicide of the older adults as related to losses, which would occur in a strained sociofamiliar scenario, leading to the appearance of psychopathological situations that, if not properly followed, would result in death. There would also be something inexorable in this sequence of events. The older adults, by the very time of their life, would tend to accumulate losses of different aspects in their trajectory. Their rigor and other relational limitations would simultaneously stress family relationships, favoring conflicts, and hinder adherence to treatment. This model of understanding, which has a wide support in the hegemonic medical-psychological discourse, in a sense minimizes possible self- or heteroaccusations directed at family members. CONCLUSIONS: Special attention should be given to identify the older adults who present losses, family conflicts, and signs of psychopathology and who do not follow-up psychosocial care services. Strategies to help older adults handle family conflicts and losses, empowering them, should be developed and made available by intersectoral actions. The adequate treatment of psychopathological conditions should be implanted in a context in which active search mechanisms also existed for older adults who abandoned follow-up. The implementation of these actions is a challenge to be faced in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil, where there is a low availability of psychosocial care services, which are not articulated with specialized care services in tertiary medical conditions, and there is still low coverage by the basic care.

Narratives of family members on the suicide of older adults in an Amazonian metropolis / Narrativas de familiares sobre o suicídio de idosos em uma metrópole amazônica

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the narratives of family members on the suicide of older adults in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil. METHODS This is a qualitative study of the narratives of eight older adults, who committed suicide in the period of 2001-2012. In the analytic-interpretative process, we have tried to perform the hermeneutic double exercise: to interpret the interpretation of narrators. We have used as theoretical references authors who have investigated suicide from the perspective of gender and its correlations with the sociofamiliar context and with mental disorders. RESULTS The family members would conceive the suicide of the older adults as related to losses, which would occur in a strained sociofamiliar scenario, leading to the appearance of psychopathological situations that, if not properly followed, would result in death. There would also be something inexorable in this sequence of events. The older adults, by the very time of their life, would tend to accumulate losses of different aspects in their trajectory. Their rigor and other relational limitations would simultaneously stress family relationships, favoring conflicts, and hinder adherence to treatment. This model of understanding, which has a wide support in the hegemonic medical-psychological discourse, in a sense minimizes possible self- or heteroaccusations directed at family members. CONCLUSIONS Special attention should be given to identify the older adults who present losses, family conflicts, and signs of psychopathology and who do not follow-up psychosocial care services. Strategies to help older adults handle family conflicts and losses, empowering them, should be developed and made available by intersectoral actions. The adequate treatment of psychopathological conditions should be implanted in a context in which active search mechanisms also existed for older adults who abandoned follow-up. The implementation of these actions is a challenge to be faced in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil, where there is a low availability of psychosocial care services, which are not articulated with specialized care services in tertiary medical conditions, and there is still low coverage by the basic care.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Analisar as narrativas de familiares sobre o suicídio de idosos em Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil. MÉTODOS Estudo qualitativo de narrativas de oito idosos que morreram por suicídio no período 2001-2012. No processo analítico-interpretativo, buscou-se realizar o exercício da dupla hermenêutica: interpretar a interpretação dos narradores. Teve-se como referenciais teóricos autores que investigaram o suicídio a partir da perspectiva de gênero, de suas correlações com o contexto sociofamiliar e com transtornos mentais. RESULTADOS Os familiares conceberiam o suicídio dos idosos como relacionado a perdas, que se dariam em um cenário sociofamiliar tensionado, levando ao surgimento de quadros psicopatológicos que, se não adequadamente acompanhados, resultariam na morte. Haveria também algo de inexorável nessa sequência de eventos. O idoso, pelo próprio tempo de sua vida, tenderia a acumular em sua trajetória perdas de diferentes matizes. Sua rigidez e outras limitações relacionais tensionariam simultaneamente as relações familiares, favorecendo conflitos, e dificultariam a adesão ao tratamento. Esse modelo de compreensão, que tem amplo ancoramento no discurso médico-psicológico hegemónico, de certo modo, se presta a minimizar eventuais auto- ou heteroacusações direcionadas aos familiares. CONCLUSÕES Especial atenção deveria ser direcionada para se identificar idosos que apresentem simultaneamente perdas, conflitos familiares, indícios de psicopatologia e não seguimento em serviços de atenção psicossocial. Estratégias para auxiliar os idosos a lidar com as perdas e conflitos familiares, empoderando-os, deveriam ser desenvolvidas e disponibilizadas por meio de ações intersetoriais. O adequado tratamento de condições psicopatológicas deveria ser implantado, em um contexto no qual também houvesse mecanismos de busca ativa de idosos que abandonaram o acompanhamento. Implantar essas ações é um desafio a ser enfrentado em Manaus, onde há baixa disponibilidade de serviços de atenção psicossocial, que não se articulam com os serviços de atenção especializada em condições médicas de abordagem terciária, havendo ainda baixa cobertura pela atenção básica.