Cry for help: Perceptions of young adults on suicide from northern Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: To examine the perceptions of suicide among a sample of adolescents from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral (GBC), a northern province of Pakistan. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory design was employed to study the phenomenon by examining secondary data from an asynchronous, online student discussion forum at a University in Karachi. All the participants, originally from GBC, were enrolled from June-December 2019 using a purposive sampling technique based on their experiences of losing a loved one (adolescent sibling or cousin or a friend) because of suicide. The narratives were content analyzed using Creswell framework resulting categories and an overarching theme. Study was approved by ethical committee of university. Pseudonyms were assigned to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of the participants. RESULTS: Out of 10 participants, 8 were females and 2 were males aged 18-20 years. Participants shared their perceptions/experiences about suicide among adolescents in GBC, probable root causes of suicide and recommendation/ suggestions in context of GBC. The analysis revealed an overarching theme “cry for help”, which was further divided into five categories including: (i) cultural norms; (ii) parents as a whistle for the rat race; (iii) psychological issues; (iv) seeking mental help-a challenge; and (v) how can I be helped? CONCLUSION: Study findings provided insights into factors leading to suicide among young adults in GBC region. The contributing factors highlight the need to develop infrastructure to increase accessibility to healthcare centers, and predominantly access to mental healthcare workers for undertaking risk assessment, and managing the cases promptly is needed.