‘Plue plun’ male, ‘kath klei’ female : gender differences in suicidal behavior as expressed by young people in Cambodia

Few studies from low- and middle-income countries use qualitative methodologyto explore suicidal behavior among young people. In Cambodia, young peopleface the challenge of rapidly changing times and are vulnerable for suicidalbehavior as revealed by research in transitional economies. This study seeks togain a deeper understanding of the suicidal phenomena from a gender, psychosocialand cultural perspective. Six focus-group discussions were conductedamong boys and girls, aged 15–19 years, in two secondary schools in a suburbanarea close to Phnom Penh, the capital city. The data was analyzed using thematicanalysis approach. The participants highlighted the gender difference in suicidalbehavior by describing the suicide-prone, acting-out male as ‘plue plun’, whilesuicide-prone females were described as caught in constricted, tunneled-thinkingbehavior, expressed as ‘kath klei’. Parental attitude and family environment werealso pointed out as the chief causes of discontent and there was a strong wish onthe part of young people to find space for modern values within the traditionalfamily. The young people’s awareness of their challenges in everyday life suggeststhat school-based programs to prevent suicidal behavior ought to be gendersensitiveand peer-focused