Counselor Perspectives on Suicide and Suicidal Ideation: a Qualitative Study

This qualitative study investigated the relationship between a counsellor’s personal beliefs about suicide & his or her attitudes toward clients expressing suicide ideations. Grounded theory was the research method used & data were collected through individual interviews, coded for thematic patterns, & analyzed by the process of constant comparison. Two basic & conflicting beliefs emerged. Participants divided into 2 discrete positions contingent on the belief that suicide might be appropriate for some people or that suicide is never appropriate for anyone. A data-analysis model is presented detailing possible connections among these mutually exclusive beliefs.