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Child-Sized Gaps in the System: Case Studies of Child Suicidality and Support Within the Australian Healthcare System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2016

Kathy McKay Open the ORCID record for Kathy McKay [Opens in a new window]  and
Fiona Shand
Kathy McKay*
Affiliation:
University of New England, Australia
Fiona Shand
Affiliation:
Black Dog Institute, Australia Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention, Australia Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Kathy McKay, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2350, Australia. Email: kmckay8@une.edu.au
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Abstract

While children both understand the concept of, and have died by, suicide, little research has been conducted on children's experiences of healthcare systems during and after a suicidal crisis. This article focuses on three case studies of mothers with suicidal daughters and aims to describe the health service experiences of parents whose children have attempted suicide. The case studies were selected as exemplars of three different healthcare experiences of mothers with suicidal daughters younger than 16 years of age. Interviews were conducted with the mothers, focusing on their experiences when trying to find care for their daughters after a suicide attempt. A ‘dirty text’ analysis was undertaken on the transcripts, which aimed to find potential redemption within stories of trauma. Narratives were analysed to see how their stories were told, but also how experiences could be shared or be dissimilar. Significant gaps currently exist in the care and support provided to suicidal children, particularly in the critical post-discharge phase. Adults were not always able to recognise when a child was suicidal, or sometimes take that suicidality seriously. Support must often be proactively sought, and even organisations that are meant to target children and adolescents may not always provide appropriate care.

Keywords

child suicidechild attempted suicidecare after suicidesuicide preventionAustralian healthcarestigma
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , December 2016 , pp. 139 - 148
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2016 

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