Abstract
Much of the current research exploring suicide aims to find out why people die by suicide and what could be done to prevent suicide; this is despite little success in answering either of these questions. This project argues that the meaning of suicide is a neglected area of research, and sets out to explore how suicide is constructed within NHS policy and guidance. Method: Three texts related to NHS policy and guidance were analysed. A Discourse Analysis methodology was used to explore what was achieved by the language used and what possibilities for thought and action were made available. Results: Four interpretative repertoires were presented; suicide as losing agency; professionalising suicide; medicalising suicide; and negotiating shame, blame and responsibility. What was achieved in using these interpretative repertoires, individually and in combination, was explored. Conclusions: Suicide was found to be constructed as belonging in the public sphere, and something which can be 'fixed'. Additionally the authors of the publications constructed mental health services as responsible for suicide. As such, the authority and power of the NHS was (re)produced in these texts. Ways in which the findings might be useful was attended to, for instance creating more flexible subject positions, increasing the emphasis on relational aspects of support and supporting services to develop policies which enable this.