“ … I felt completely stranded”: Liminality and recognition of personhood in the experiences of suicidal women admitted to psychiatric hospital

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how patients experience their suicidality andhow they experience being in a psychiatric hospital.Methods: This is part of a field study, and the article is based on data collected in interactionswith 11 women who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital and were struggling with suicidality.Data were collected through interviews, conversations, and participatory observation. We ana-lysed the data by means of Systematic Text Condensation, followed by a deductive process wherethe data and preliminary findings were interpreted in light of the theory of liminality.Results: We found that the patients’experiences of suicidality and being a patient ina psychiatric acute ward involve“Liminality and weakened sense of personhood,”and fromtheir perspective,“Recognition of personhood”is an important aspect of care.Conclusion: Our study indicates that suicidality and psychiatric hospitalization involve limin-ality and weakened sense of personhood, aspects that are important to consider in the careof the patients. Professionals need to acknowledge more the importance of recognition ofpersonhood in care, since this can strengthen the patient’s self-worth and empower theperson. Lack of recognition may increase the patient’s suffering and suicidality.