A Study on the Patients with Hansen's Disease who Experienced Suicidal Urge and Overcame Suicide

Kang, Tae Kyung

Abstract

This research analyzed the structural dynamics about neglected and isolated patients with Hansen's disease who experienced suicidal urge and overcame suicide. The research found the way to prevent them from killing themselves by searching what triggered the suicidal urge and how they got over the temptation. The participants were 6 members who lived in the group home. They had been excluded from the community and their family. They were trafficked for forced labor from their group home. This experience had caused suicidal urge before they came to the group home. To know how they overcame suicidal urge, they were interviewed by using semi-structured opened ended questions. According to the interview, there are four reasons that stopped the suicidal urge. The participants said that the first reason to stop thinking about death is the belief. This is a reliance on almighty God. Because the place where they live together is run by the Catholic Foundation, the community spirit and their belief are thought as the particular reason. Second, they got an economical and emotional support from their group home. Their group home provided food, clothing, and shelter, which were never provided from their family and society. By living together with other patients, they strengthened their emotional relationship and made a new social community. Next, they were getting generous when they belonged here. They accepted social prejudice without confronting unreasonable issues. Last, they changed their aim of life. They decided to live happily for good. They thought it could be the only way to take revenge to people who ignored and excluded them from the society. That is, they found the certain goal of their life by making new social relationship from the group home which could be called their real home. Also, they were helping one another in their community in various ways. As a result, this facility provided emotional and financial support and cooperating systems to people who were living together. From the investigation going along, social relationship is thought as the main factor of overcoming suicide. So, it is necessary to build social relationship to interact with other people who are in the same oven. It is also important to make well established motional and financial support from the society. On the basis of data furnished by this research, it is essential to develop infrastructure for overcoming suicide of the neglected people beside patients with Hansen's disease.