Living with suicidal thoughts: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Suicidology

Background:

• Suicidal thoughts are more prevalent than deaths or attempts, necessitating a focus on lived experiences.
• A shift from biomedical models to understanding the subjective experiences of suicidal ideation is emerging.
• Existing evidence on suicidal thoughts is heavily influenced by a biomedical approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize and disseminate research on the lived experiences of individuals with suicidal thoughts.
• To expand the evidence base by incorporating qualitative, experiential data.
• To inform suicide prevention strategies by understanding the personal narratives of those affected.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review following Arksey & O'Malley's six-stage framework.
• Searches conducted across PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases for qualitative studies.
• Inclusion of 28 peer-reviewed articles in English, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian, supplemented by citation searching.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified include the profound significance of social connections.
• A significant finding was the experience of a loss of the personal self.
• Findings were organized under two primary thematic headings: social connections and loss of self.

Conclusions:

• Further qualitative research is needed to understand suicidal thoughts from an everyday life perspective.
• Highlighting the importance of social connections and attachment in mental health prevention and policy.
• Recommending trauma-informed care and narrative/communicative methods in the treatment of suicidal thoughts.