Os Motivos da Escolha do F ogo nas Tentativas de Suicídio Realizadas por Mulheres

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of choosing fi re as an option for attempted suicide among women. Participants were eight women who suffered self-infl icted burns and went under care for outpatient repair of burn scars at an hospital. Participants answered a semi-structured interview about the stories of their life, the moment and motivations to commit that act and a sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire. Results showed that the choice of fi re was sometimes premeditated, but not always. For those women who premeditated the act, fi re was chosen because it would be an effective method of suicide. For those who set fi re without premeditation, the use of fi re seems to have been an impulsive moment of confl ict and anger, a way to call the attention of someone close, especially the partner and children. They had no knowledge of burn scars and subsequent treatment and recovery.