Navigating Crisis
A Qualitative Exploration of Parents' Journeys with Suicidal Adolescents in Australian Emergency Departments
Published Date: 31.5.2025
Theme: Specific groups of carers
Sub-theme: Caring for someone living with a mental illness
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Theme: Specific groups of carers
Sub-theme: Caring for someone living with a mental illness
Verification Statement
This publication / resource is hosted on a publicly available external link. If the full text is not publicly accessible, summary points are included and a contact method for the author(s) is provided, where available.
The summary information presented is based on content submitted by an author or other user, along with publicly available information about the publication / resource added by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team.
All content is reviewed, edited and approved by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team, in line with our Submission Guidelines.
To report an issue or request a change, please complete our Feedback Form.
Navigating Crisis
A Qualitative Exploration of Parents' Journeys with Suicidal Adolescents in Australian Emergency Departments
Published Date: 31.5.2025
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Author/ Authors
Katherine Boydell
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Suggested citation (APA 7th edition)
Rheinberger, D., McGillivray, L., Shand, F., Pollard, S. A., Armstrong, S. O., Lessing, J., & Boydell, K. (2025). Navigating crisis: A qualitative exploration of parents' journeys with suicidal adolescents in Australian emergency departments. The Qualitative Report, 30(5), 3575-3596. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7670
Long Summary
Rates of emergency department (ED) presentations for suicide crisis (thoughts, feelings, plans and behaviours) in adolescents are increasing. Parents play a key role in supporting adolescents during and after the ED presentation, however little is known about parental experiences in the ED. Interviews with 20 parents from across Australia were undertaken to help understand this experience. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted, resulting in three themes which explore the impact of the suicide crisis and ED presentation on the parents’ sense of identity. First, parents’ identity was threatened as they were faced with the juxtaposition between the role of protector and possible suicide death. Second, parents struggled with understanding their identity in the ED context, in which they were prevented from acting as primary carer of their child. Finally, parents’ identity transitioned after hospital discharge, as they altered their lives to accommodate constant monitoring of their child for fear of resurgence of the suicide crisis. Parents feel unsupported during this time yet are expected to provide life preserving care to their adolescent. More research is necessary to help us understand how parents can be better supported, and in turn, are better able to support their adolescent.
Key Messages for Carers
- Parents face challenges as their role changes during and after an emergency department presentation due to their child's suicide crisis.
- After discharge, parents need more support to continue their role in protecting their child.
Key Messages for Policy Makers
- Parents found it challenging to balance the role of protector with possible death by suicide.
- Parents struggled with understanding their identity in emergency departments, where were prevented from acting as primary carer of their child.
- Parents feel unsupported after hospital discharge and had to make significant adjustments to accommodate constant monitoring of their child for fear of resurgence of the suicide crisis.
- More research is necessary to help us understand how parents can be better supported, and in turn, are better able to support their adolescent.
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