Navigating Crisis: A Qualitative Exploration of Parents' Journeys with Suicidal Adolescents in Australian Emergency Departments

Authors

Demee Rheinberger, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales & Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering, University of New South Wales, AustraliaFollow
Lauren McGillivray, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, AustraliaFollow
Fiona Shand, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, AustraliaFollow
Sally Ann Pollard, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
Susanne Oliver Armstrong, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, AustraliaFollow
Julia Lessing, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia
Katherine Boydell, Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales, AustraliaFollow

Abstract

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.

Keywords

parents, suicide, adolescent, emergency department, qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis

Author Bio(s)

Demee Rheinberger is a Ph.D. candidate at Black Dog Institute, UNSW and Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering, UNSW. Please direct correspondence to d.rheinberger@blackdog.org.au

Lauren McGillivray is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Fiona Shand is an Associate Professor at Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Sally Ann Pollard is a Lived Experience Advisor with Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Susanne Oliver Armstrong is a Senior Lived Experience Advisor with Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Julia Lessing is a Lived Experience Advisor with Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Katherine Boydell is a Professor at Black Dog Institute, UNSW.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the parents who participated in this study and shared their experiences of such a difficult time in their lives and the lives of their adolescents. We would also like to acknowledge the women who comprise the project’s lived experience advisory group. Without the wisdom and insights of every person who contributed to this study, it would not have been possible.

Publication Date

5-31-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7670

Recommended APA Citation

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

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4493-8565