Liria Paz, Tribuna do Norte
Opened in 2007 with the function of connecting the South and North areas of Natal, the Newton Navarro Bridge is one of the postcards of the capital of Rio Grande do Norte. Built over the Potengi River, the building is also the scene of tragic events. Several people used it to commit suicide. Over time, the cases gained notoriety. Behind them, there are stories that are little talked about. Fishermen and traders whose lives were crossed by the weight of witnessing some of the deaths. To show these realities, researchers from UFRN carried out a study to understand the impact of suicide on the lives of people who work at Redinha. This month, Yellow September is celebrated, which speaks of the importance of preventing suicides.
Magnus NascimentoFishermen can hear the sound of the body falling into the water. Living with suicide cases has left marks
It is possible to wonder how suicide can impact people beyond the victim. To clarify this question, the American organization National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention – National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, in free translation – carried out research that shows that a suicide impacts around 115 people, directly or indirectly. With this in mind, researchers from the Department of Psychology at UFRN Ana Karina Azevedo, Amanda Melo and Olga Hawes set out with the aim of understanding this impact and seeking testimonies of the impact on the capital of Rio Grande do Norte.
The objective was to understand how deaths could influence the lives of workers. “The market is traditional, many have worked there for 20, 30 years and saw their lives crossed by someone’s death”, he comments. The researcher also says that many of them had to rescue bodies from the water. Even with the tension of their stories, it was realized that this part of the population needed to be heard.
The reports resulted in two studies, one of them published as a chapter in the book Pesquisas Fenomenológicas em Psicologia, in 2021, and the other in the magazine Periódicos Eletrônicos em Psicologia, from the Núcleo de Pesquisas Phenomenológicas (Nufen), published in 2020. “When we heard about the numbers of suicides on the bridge, we didn't hear about the impact of this on the population around the bridge and that mobilized us”, explains Ana Karina.
For months they visited the Redinha market. The same question was asked to everyone: What is it like for you to live with the suicides that took place on the Newton Navarro Bridge? The intention was to encourage the interviewee to talk about their own experience. This method is called Qualitative Phenomenological Research. They wanted to get away from what they call the “spectacularization of suicide” and address a little-known reality. "We believe that this impact is not just for family members. All those who surround this event also end up being impacted", says Amanda Melo.
The first survey was released with the title “Witnesses of a suicide: a study with traders in the vicinity of the Newton Navarro bridge in Natal”. Traders from the Redinha market were interviewed in 2018. The interview period coincided with the significant increase in suicide cases on the bridge. The following year was marked by the presence of “sentinels”, people who monitored the length of the bridge with the intention of preventing suicides at the site, when the research was underway.
First, what they heard most were questions. Karina says that people didn't understand the sudden interest in her stories. “But no one wants to talk to us, why do you want to?” That was the most frequently asked question. From there the research began. They continued through the market in Redinha, currently under renovation. Fear, change in routine and perception of life and death, even indifference with the frequency of cases were the most mentioned points.
Ana Karina explains that some of the traders at the Redinha market withdraw when they notice any suspicious movement. “When they saw a person posted about a possible movement, behavior that could incite suicide, they retreated into the market”, he reports. She says that even the act of withdrawing also made them witness. “The most mobilizing thing about this research is the fact that they deal so directly with suicide makes them try to mean it”, explains Karina.
The second phase yielded the chapter “My life is the sea: fishermen and their testimonies of suicide on the Newton Navarro Bridge”. That was f