Suicídio na área urbana de São Gabriel da Cachoeira: estudo com autópsias psicossociais

Abstract

Objective: To analyze meanings attributed by indigenous to suicides occurred in the urban area of São Gabriel da Cachoeira city. Methodology: Cases of suicide were selected on the urban area of São Gabriel da Cachoeira city in period 2001 to 2014. Community Health Agents mediate contact with the families of the selected cases. To family members were applied a semi-structured interview guide called Psychosocial Autopsy, through which were drawn family narratives about the suicide of the selected cases. The interviews, conducted after obtaining the free and informed consent, were recorded and transcribed. After transcription, comprehensive analysis of the narratives was performed for the identification of empirical categories, the narratives were divided into sections so both were identified explicit ideas as implied in the text. The Psychosocial Autopsy was employed in two ways: in order to reconstruct the speeches made during the narratives and as a means of listing the categories used in the analysis. Results: Suicidal were mostly young males and used not to show violent behavior. The preferred method used to commit suicide was hanging. It was identified through the Psychosocial Autopsies that relatives associated suicides existing family conflicts, the high consumption of alcohol and other drugs, or even due to a shamanic witchery, as "blowing" or "damage" poisoning, motivated by envy of another person. It also highlights the concern of relatives to know what happened to the suicidal after his death. Conclusion: Family through their narratives seek to understand the suicide of their relatives through a complex system causality in which articulate family conflicts, use of substances and witchery, which ultimately leads to a relational context. This model does not relate to classic biomedical model that tends to associate suicide to individual psychiatric or psychological problems. In addition the narrative of death does not end with death itself, concerns the post-mortem permeate the afflictions of the family. These aspects should be considered when seeking strategies both prevention and post event to suicide.