Chapter Nine: Suicide

Parasuicides

Unsuccessful suicide attempts

Psychological Dysfunction

A breakdown of coping skills, emotional turmoil, a distorted view of life

Suicide

A self-inflicted death in which one makes an intentional, direct, and conscious effort to end ones life

Death Seeker

A person who clearly intends to end their lives at the time they attempt suicide

Death Initiator

A person who intends to end their life believing that the process of death is already under way and that theyre simply hastening the process

Death Ignorer

A person who doesnt believe that their self-inflicted death will mean the end of their existence

Death Darer

A person who experiences mixed feelings or ambivalence about their intent to die

Subintentional Deaths

When people play indirect, covert, partial, or unconscious roles in their own deaths

Retrospective Analysis

A kind of psychological autopsy in which clinicians and researchers piece together data from the suicide victims past

Immediate Stress

Loss of loved one, loss of a job, significant financial loss, stress caused by natural disasters

Social Isolation

Those without social supports are particularly vulnerable to suicidal thinking and actions

Psychache

A feeling of psychological pain that seems intolerable to the person

Hopelessness

A pessimistic belief that their present circumstances, problems, or mood will not change

Dichotomous Thinking

Viewing problems and solutions in rigid either/or terms

Postvention

Postsuicide programs that hold therapy sessions for recruits that had been close to the suicide victims

Egoistic Suicides

Carried out by ppl over which society has little or no control

Alturistic Suicides

Carried out by ppl who are so integrated into the social structure that they intentionally sacrifice their lives for its well-being

Anomic Suicides

Carried out by ppl whose social environment fails to provide stable structures to support and give meaning to life

Anomie

A societal condition that leaves people without a sense of belonging

Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

People will be inclined to pursue suicide if they have perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and a psychological capability to carry out suicide

Perceived Burdensomeness

Believe that their existence places a heavy and permanent burden on their family, friends, and even society

Thwarted Belongingness

Feel isolated and alienated from others

Suicide Prevention Program

A program that tries to identify people who are at risk of killing themselves and to offer them crisis intervention

suicide hotlines

24-hr telephone services in which callers reach a counselor who provides services under the supervision of a mental health professional

Paraprofessional

A person trained in counseling but without a formal degree

Crisis Intervention

A treatment approach that tries to help people in a psychological crisis to view their situation more accurately, make better decisions, act more constructively, and overcome the crisis

Crisis Text Line

Nonprofit crisis intervention service that offers text counseling in partnership with hotlines

Trevor Lifeline

A nationwide, around-the-clock hotline available for LGTBQ teenagers who are thinking about suicide