Study objectives: This study was carried out within the context of a Death Education course for college students attending a Social Work BA degree course and which was meant as a form of education on suicide prevention among adolescents and young adults. This study was aimed at exploring the narratives of future Social Workers concerning the reasons for dying and for living of their peers, both as young adults and as Social Work students. Methods and material: 62 Social Work BA students aged 20-26 took part in the present study. Participants were recruited in a curricular course organized in the form of a Death Education intervention and focused on suicide prevention for adolescents and young adults. Participants were invited to design suicide prevention interventions targeting either the general population or vulnerable groups of young people within their communities. Data collection was carried out in the form of two written interviews exploring participants’ views concerning their peers’ reasons for living and for dying. Data collection and analysis falls within the Grounded Theory perspective. Results: As regards reasons for dying, participants’ narratives point to the importance of social media as possibly driving young people to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. In participants’ narratives, the use of social media was tightly connected with cyberbullying, a very sensitive issue for participants in that it hinders acceptance by peers, which is considered one of the major reasons for living of adolescents and young adults. Thwarted belongingness, social isolation and 323 | P a g e Table of Contents Programme in Detail loneliness are also very sensitive issues for participants and are considered as major reasons for dying. Conversely, the most proximal relationships play a major role in one’s choice to live, as they are able to provide love and support and to fulfil humans’ natural need and desire for belonging and affiliation. Finally, participants state the importance of networking between the most proximal relationships, such as family and friends, with schools and universities and with health services. Conclusions: Social Work students’ narratives on the reasons for living and dying of people their age point to the importance to act on both the use of social media and possible collateral effects such as cyberbullying and on loneliness and social isolation. They therefore recognize the importance of relationships in determining adolescents and young adults’ choice to live and they stressed the importance to create opportunities of cooperation and networking between families, schools and health services to support young people and prevent suicide.

Suicide Prevention: University Students' Narratives on their Reasons for Living and Dying

Testoni I.;Piol S.;De Leo
2021

Abstract

Study objectives: This study was carried out within the context of a Death Education course for college students attending a Social Work BA degree course and which was meant as a form of education on suicide prevention among adolescents and young adults. This study was aimed at exploring the narratives of future Social Workers concerning the reasons for dying and for living of their peers, both as young adults and as Social Work students. Methods and material: 62 Social Work BA students aged 20-26 took part in the present study. Participants were recruited in a curricular course organized in the form of a Death Education intervention and focused on suicide prevention for adolescents and young adults. Participants were invited to design suicide prevention interventions targeting either the general population or vulnerable groups of young people within their communities. Data collection was carried out in the form of two written interviews exploring participants’ views concerning their peers’ reasons for living and for dying. Data collection and analysis falls within the Grounded Theory perspective. Results: As regards reasons for dying, participants’ narratives point to the importance of social media as possibly driving young people to suicidal thoughts and behaviours. In participants’ narratives, the use of social media was tightly connected with cyberbullying, a very sensitive issue for participants in that it hinders acceptance by peers, which is considered one of the major reasons for living of adolescents and young adults. Thwarted belongingness, social isolation and 323 | P a g e Table of Contents Programme in Detail loneliness are also very sensitive issues for participants and are considered as major reasons for dying. Conversely, the most proximal relationships play a major role in one’s choice to live, as they are able to provide love and support and to fulfil humans’ natural need and desire for belonging and affiliation. Finally, participants state the importance of networking between the most proximal relationships, such as family and friends, with schools and universities and with health services. Conclusions: Social Work students’ narratives on the reasons for living and dying of people their age point to the importance to act on both the use of social media and possible collateral effects such as cyberbullying and on loneliness and social isolation. They therefore recognize the importance of relationships in determining adolescents and young adults’ choice to live and they stressed the importance to create opportunities of cooperation and networking between families, schools and health services to support young people and prevent suicide.
2021
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) XXXI World Congress
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3401766
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