Exploring the meaning of life and perception of death: a phenomenological study of the psychological experiences of Chinese adolescent patients who attempted suicide.

Publication date: Jun 30, 2025

The incidence of emotional disorders among Chinese adolescents has risen, particularly during the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an alarming increase in suicide rates and becoming an undeniable public health issue. A qualitative descriptive design was used, researchers conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 16 adolescent suicide attempters. This study explores the psychological experiences and perceptions of life and death of Chinese adolescent patients with suicide attempts to provide a foundation and recommendations for developing targeted suicide prevention strategies for adolescents. Three themes can be identified in the psychological experiences of Chinese adolescents who attempted suicide. The first theme is loss of sense of meaning in life. This theme consists of 3 sub-themes, including a sense of insignificance and worthlessness, a sense of despair and helplessness, and a sense of no attachment and no support. The second theme is the one-sided perception of death. This theme consists of 3 sub-themes, including death can be pain-free, death as a means of relieving oneself and others of burdens, and death as a ‘reboot’ of life. The third theme is complex experiences following attempted suicide. This theme consists of 4 sub-themes, including feeling regret and guilt, thoughts of attempting suicide again, feeling shame due to stigma, and desire for an emotional link with others. When the accumulated psychological pain of a suicidal adolescent, combined with a lack of perception and experience of life’s meaning and a scientific understanding of death, leads to suicidal ideation, it becomes a serious public health issue. We recommend that society pay more attention to educating young people about the value of life and death. A multidimensional intervention approach that involves family, school, and society should be developed to explore a suicide intervention concept that prioritizes the growth of young people’s lives as the primary value orientation.

Semantics

Original Article