A Grounded Theory Study of Suicide Attempts in Badakhshan: A Renewed Commitment to Life

Suicide is a serious and complex problem facing the world. About 1.5 million people die by suicide each year and one billion people are affected by it. Most suicides occur in Asia, yet research has predominately studied suicide in the West. Suicide in Central Asia (comprised of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) is under researched. Little is known about prevalence data, risk and protective factors, and effective treatments in this region. This is a qualitative exploratory study on the phenomenon of suicide in Badakhshan, Tajikistan. It seeks to understand the perspectives on the experience of suicide among individuals who have attempted suicide in Badakhshan within their socio-cultural context. It also attempts to generate a middle-range, substantive theory about the perspectives on the experience of suicide and factors contributing to the suicide attempts in Badakhshan. The objectives of the study are to describe the lived experiences of individuals who have made a suicide attempt in Badakhshan and identify factors that contributed to the attempt using grounded theory methodology. Field work will be conducted over a period of three to six months in Badakhshan, Tajikistan.