Resource Tag: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

This research identified & brought together a broad range of risk factors identified in the literature on elder suicide into a comprehensive predictive model. The interrelations of these factors were investigated. Data were collected on 350 participants recruited from assisted living facilities, community mental health centres, seniors’ centres, & senior social organizations throughout northeastern Ohio. […]

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In this chapter, the authors first provide a brief overview of 3 major reviews of suicide assessment scales published in the past 12 years focusing on reliability & validity based on group or aggregate data. Next, they present an argument supporting the importance of the relational context as a mechanism for enhancing the reliability & […]

This book has 8 chapters, including: Introduction; Nature & Scope of the Problem; Theoretical & Developmental Perspectives; Social Relationships; Stress, Coping, & Emotion Regulation; Psychopathology; Assessment & Treatment; & Prevention. The current state of knowledge about suicidal behaviours in children & adolescents is presented, the trends of the past ten years are addressed, & available […]

The authors explored the predictive potential of two biological markers through meta-analyses of prospective biological studies of cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid & the dexamethasone suppression test. Despite the bidirectional relationship of components of serotonin function & the HPA axis, within the stress-diathesis model of suicidal behaviour, it was found these indices of the central serotonergic […]

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Homicide-suicides are a rare yet very serious form of lethal violence which mainly occur in partnerships & families. The extent to which homicide-suicide can be undertood as being primarily a homicide or a suicide event, or rather a category of its own is examined. In total, 103 homicide-suicides were compared to 3,203 homicides & 17,751 […]

Edwin S. Shneidman was a father of contemporary suicidology & his work reflected an intensive study of suicide. His contributions are some of the essential studies in the field. The works can be divided into 5 parts: definitional & theoretical; suicide notes; administrative & programmatic; clinical & community; & psychological & postvention. This paper explicates […]

The discussion in this chapter uses a theoretical basis which assumes sound mental health can be represented as an equilibrium, or vital balance. The concept is modified from the writings of Menninger & incorporates the ideas of Antonovsky & his formulations for coping with stress. The Suicide Assessment Checklist, the Coping Abilities Questionnaire, & the […]

This study examines the relationship between hope & a specific theory of suicide in African Americans. It was hypothesized that: 1) hope would hegatively predict the interpersonal suicide risk factors of burdensomeness & thwarted belongingness; & positively predict acquired capability to enact suicide; 2) hope would negatively predict suicide ideation; & 3) the interpersonal suicide […]

The author first elaborates why it is important to focus on cultural issues in suicidological research & thereafter discusses what it actually means to have a cultural focus/perspective on the research. Some of the challenges, as well as opportunities, are then discussed. The main focus is, however, on challenges & these are conceptual, theoretical, methodological, […]

In this commentary, the author briefly describes his interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behaviour & argues that the theory’s constructs may allow a new level of focus & specificity for suicide prevention in general & for school-based suicide prevention in particular. In doing so, he discusses findings & concepts from other articles in this issue of […]

In this chapter, the author first discusses R. Firestone’s overall theoretical approach of separation theory, including the fantasy bond, or self-parenting process, & the voice process. Second, the steps in voice therapy, a cognitive/affective/behavioral treatment, are described. Finally, a hypothetical session is presented to illustrate this methodology as applied in the treatment of an individual […]

Durkheim’s nineteenth-century analysis of national suicide rates dismissed prior concerns about mortality data fidelity. Over the intervening century, evidence documenting various types of error in suicide data has only mounted & surprising levels of such error continue to be routinely uncovered. Yet the annual suicide rate remains the most widely used population-level suicide metric troday. […]

This paper demonstrates, using some conventional concepts & procedures from economics, the economic rationale for governments to have suicide prevention policies. The motivation is to show that a suicide prevention policy involves a legitimate role of government, given the conventional framework of welfare economics. This paper shows that there is no economic case for a […]

This book has three main chapters, one on the suicidal mind, one on suicidal behaviours, and the last on causes, consequences, & subpopulations. In each chapter, the author describes a number of myths & misunderstood topics, & then dispels or explains them.

Drawing on the civil society & civic community literatures, this study applies the theory of social capital to the study of suicide. Macro-level data are analyzed to determine the relationship between the social capital of an area & the prevalence of suicide. Negative binomial regression is used to examine American counties of 100,000 residents or […]

This paper was developed to shed light on the phenomenology of suicide; that is, to focus on suicide as a phenomenon affecting a unique individual with unique motives for the suicidal act. To explore this topic, the author looks back at the past centuries to understand why suicide was thought to be confined to psychiatric […]

Research among Vietnam veterans shows that posttraumatic stress disorder & feelings of shame & guilt are risk factors for suicide. Data on Canadian peacekeepers seem to show that these peacekeepers are not at risk for suicide. However, Norwegian peacekeeping veterans are at risk for suicide as well as some groups of active duty military personnel. […]

This article examines suicide bereavement through the lens of transformative learning. Its purpose is twofold: first, to analyse the dynamics of the grieving process & the transformative experience of the bereaved; second, to use this analysis to draw implications for theory, practice, & research on transformative learning. It is a study of the way in […]

This paper explores whether theories of completed suicide are applicable to attempted suicide. It is concluded that theories are needed which apply specifically to attempted suicide, & suggestions are made for sociological & psychological theories of attempted suicide. (32 refs.)

A functional model of the acquired capability for suicide, a component of Joiner’s (2005) Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, is presented. The model integrates the points dicussed by Joiner into a unified & specific conceptualization of acquired capability. Several points are elaborated on, such as the interaction between specific diatheses with life events, the role of […]

When a police officer dies by suicide, it has a tremendous impact on every level of the police department. Through analysis of an individual case of the suicide of a police officer from a small city department, the authors explore the impact on other officers & on the department as a whole. Based on this […]