Summary
Suicide attempt can be considered as a hopeless issue out of diverse and complex psychological, familial and wider social problems. The aim of this preliminary clinical study was to examine first the family structure and second the transactions occurring in fifteen families with one young hospitalized in a general hospital for suicide attempt. Young suicide attempters were chosen because of the importance of this stage of life cycle for the development of both the individual and his family. Sociodemographic data were registered and patients' complaints as well as symptoms of other members of the family were recorded and diagnosed. For family evaluation we used a simplified Yale family assessment grid. Our results are comparable with those found by Richman (1979) and Pfeffer (1981). The main results that we have pointed out are: each family was chronically dysfunctional. Almost all presented: hierarchical chaos, no overt leadership; enmeshment, especially blurred generation boundaries; over protectiveness through secret keeping; isolation within and outside of the family; rigidity of the family organization and of the transactional patterns; insufficient conflict resolution, even conflict avoiding. We would add the very importance and the chronicity of symmetrical relationships. Some families are quarreling about everything and nothing, others show depressive style and freeze indefinitely any kind of dispute and conflict.
Résumé
La tentative de suicide peut Être considérée comme une solution désespérée apportée à des problèmes psychologiques, familiaux et sociaux complexes. Notre travail porte sur quinze familles dont un jeune membre fut admis à l'hÔpital général pour tentamen. Son but était l'étude clinique de la structure familiale, ainsi que celle des transactions se déroulant au sein de ces familles. Nous nous sommes limités à des familles de jeunes suicidants, en raison de l'importance de cette phase du cycle vital, tant pour le développement individuel que pour celui de la famille. Nous avons recensé les données socio-démographiques, ainsi que les plaintes et les symptÔmes présentés tant par le suicidant que par d'autres membres de la famille. L'appréciation de la famille fut établie à l'aide d'une version simplifiée de la grille d'évaluation de Yale. Nos résultats sont comparables à ceux présentés par Richman (1979) et Pfeffer (1981). Voici les plus importants: toutes les familles se sont avérées chroniquement dysfonctionnelles. La plupart présentent un chaos hiérarchique; des barrières générationnelles floues; une surprotection mutuelle par le biais du secret; un isolement autant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur de la famille; une rigidité de l'organisation familiale et des “patterns” transactionnels; une capacité insuffisante de résoudre des conflits. Nous pensons pouvoir ajouter l'importance et la chronicité des relations symétriques. Certaines familles se querellent à propos de tout et de rien, d'autres font preuve d'un style dépressif et gèlent indéfiniment disputes et conflits.
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Masson, D., Collard, M. Jeunes suicidants et leur famille. Soc Psychiatry 22, 85–92 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00584010
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00584010