Fauk, N.K.; Asa, G.A.; McLean, C.; Ward, P.R. “I Was Very Shocked, I Wanted It to Be Over”: A Qualitative Exploration of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts among Women Living with HIV in Indonesia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2024, 21, 9.
Fauk, N.K.; Asa, G.A.; McLean, C.; Ward, P.R. “I Was Very Shocked, I Wanted It to Be Over”: A Qualitative Exploration of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts among Women Living with HIV in Indonesia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 9.
Fauk, N.K.; Asa, G.A.; McLean, C.; Ward, P.R. “I Was Very Shocked, I Wanted It to Be Over”: A Qualitative Exploration of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts among Women Living with HIV in Indonesia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2024, 21, 9.
Fauk, N.K.; Asa, G.A.; McLean, C.; Ward, P.R. “I Was Very Shocked, I Wanted It to Be Over”: A Qualitative Exploration of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts among Women Living with HIV in Indonesia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 9.
Abstract
HIV diagnosis and poor HIV management have various detrimental impacts on the lives of people living with HIV (PLHIV). As part of a large qualitative study investigating HIV risk factors and impacts, with the suicide topic not being a focus, this paper describes factors contributing to suicidal ideation and attempts that arose naturally in the stories of women living with HIV (WLHIV) in Yogyakarta and Belu districts, Indonesia. The participants were recruited using the snowball sampling technique. Guided by a qualitative data analysis framework, the data were thematically analysed. Findings indicated participants experienced immense psychological challenges due to the infection, spousal transmission, fear of mother-to-child transmission, and losing a child due to AIDS, which triggered suicidal ideation and attempts. The women’s lack of awareness of HIV management strategies resulted in them feeling trapped and overwhelmed. Associated negative thoughts and the anticipation and experience of stigma relating to their HIV status were influencing factors for thoughts of suicide among participants. Lack of social support from family and friends during the early stage of HIV diagnosis, compounded with pre-existing financial difficulties, lack of income, unemployment, and feeling overburdened, also triggered the women’s thoughts of suicide. Other influencing factors for suicidal ideation and attempts among the women were family breakdown following HIV diagnosis and this was reflected in family disputes, husband-wife separation or divorce, mother-child separation by other family members, reported concern about future relationships, and fear of being rejected or abandoned by their partner due to their HIV positive status. The findings indicate the need for a nuanced approach to counselling within HIV care interventions for couples to support the acceptance of each other’s HIV status whilst maintaining psychological wellbeing. Additionally, the findings indicate the importance of HIV education and awareness among community members for the de-stigmatisation of HIV and to increase the acceptance of PLHIV within families and communities.
Keywords
Suicidal ideation and attempt, risk factors, women, HIV, Indonesia
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
