À sombra da morte: história de vida dos familiares de vítimas de suicídio

Abstract

The object of this study is death, more specifically, the response of family members of suicide victims to their loss. From a social constructivist perspective, this study analyzes how suicide, as a form of voluntary death, carries unique meanings and significance, capable of profoundly transforming the trajectory of the bereaved. The objective is to map the different approaches to suicide and understand how these understandings are reinterpreted and resignified by family members in their grieving and rebuilding processes. To this end, 54 life story interviews were conducted with 27 family members bereaved by suicide. The accounts indicate that suicide causes a radical transformation in family members' perceptions of themselves, the victim, and the social world. This metamorphosis often propels families into action, motivating them to engage in initiatives for life and to work in suicide prevention and postvention.