1
|
Ebulum GC, Eze JE, Ezeihuoma OP, Njoku C, Chukwuorji JC. Roles of Loneliness, Stress, and Religiosity in Suicide Ideation Among Nigerian Older Adults. Int J Aging Hum Dev 2024:914150241268006. [PMID: 39105289 DOI: 10.1177/00914150241268006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Suicidal behavior in older adults is a fundamental public health problem globally and the highest suicide rates occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there is limited research on suicidality among older adults, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We sought to find out whether loneliness, stress and religiosity would be associated with suicide ideation in a sample of sub-Saharan African older adults (N = 500; aged 51-70 years, Mage = 58.97, SD = 6.16; 45.6% women). They completed the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3, Perceived Stress Scale, and Religiosity Scale. Regression results showed that whereas suicidal ideation could be increased by loneliness and stress, religious older adults were less likely to report suicidal ideation. Interventions aimed at managing and protecting the mental health of older adults during their transition to late adulthood should guard them against loneliness and buffer their resilience and coping strategies with the connectedness that religiosity offers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Chimaoge Ebulum
- Department of Community Medicine, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi, Nigeria
| | - John E Eze
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | | | - Crystal Njoku
- Department of Medicine, American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Osbourn, Antigua & Barbuda
| | - JohnBosco Chika Chukwuorji
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
- Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Flint, MI, USA
- Promotion of Health and Innovation Lab, International Network for Well-being, Enugu, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
Joiner and colleagues' Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (IPTS), a prominent "desire-capability" model of suicide-based on the common-sense idea that people take their own lives because they want to, and can-is critiqued from a biological perspective. Tinbergen's ethological "four questions" guide the analysis: evolution, survival value, ontogeny, and proximate causation, each addressing a different aspect of biological understanding. Problems for IPTS emerge with all four. As a parsimonious solution, the desire-capability hypothesis is reconceived as an ultimate, instead of proximate, mode of explanation. By this light, desire and capability for suicide combined in our species' ancestral past, thus making suicide a recurrent survival threat, and driving the evolution of special-purpose defensive adaptations. This stance tallies with the pain-brain theory of the evolution of suicide, and with Joiner and colleagues' own investigation into organismic anti-suicide defenses, which appears to conflict conceptually with IPTS. These defenses' evolved algorithm may make suicide an intrinsically aleatory phenomenon, opaque to usefully accurate prediction. Positive implications for prevention and research are proposed.
Collapse
|
3
|
Blain RC, Martin CE, Ehlinger CC, Chard KM. Evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder decreases suicidal ideation by reducing perceived burdensomeness among veterans in an outpatient program. J Trauma Stress 2023; 36:1138-1150. [PMID: 38057998 DOI: 10.1002/jts.23004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Evidenced-based posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatments generally reduce suicidal ideation (SI), and the interpersonal theory of suicide (ITS) may theoretically account for this finding. The ITS posits that SI stems from feeling like a burden (i.e., perceived burdensomeness) and a lack of belonging (i.e., thwarted belongingness). Previous research suggests that change in PTSD severity has a significant indirect effect on change in SI through changes in perceived burdensomeness, but not thwarted belongingness, among patients receiving residential PTSD treatment in a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center; however, no research has investigated these associations in an outpatient VA setting with fewer confounding factors that might affect ITS constructs. Therefore, the current sample included veterans (N = 126) who completed PTSD treatment and pre- and posttreatment assessments in a VA outpatient clinic. Results from parallel models of multiple indirect effects suggest that change in PTSD severity was indirectly associated with change in SI through changes in perceived burdensomeness, B = 0.35, p < .001; β = .36, p < .001, SE = .10, 95% CI [.15, .54], but not thwarted belongingness, B = 0.14, p = .146; β = .14, p = .161, SE = .10, 95% CI [-.05, .33]. Additional models were examined using PTSD cluster scores for exploratory purposes. The results indicate that PTSD treatment reduces the perceived and objective burden of PTSD to decrease SI. Study findings support the importance of access to evidence-based care to treat PTSD and alleviate burdensomeness for suicide prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Blain
- Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Trauma Recovery Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Colleen E Martin
- Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Trauma Recovery Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M Chard
- Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Trauma Recovery Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Teismann T, Brailovskaia J, Robison M, Joiner TE. Self-burdensomeness, other-burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation. Behav Res Ther 2023; 169:104388. [PMID: 37643552 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2023.104388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Perceiving oneself as a burden to others (other-burdensomeness), as well as perceiving one's selfhood as a burden (self-burdensomeness), have been proposed as risk factors for suicidal ideation. Yet, it is unclear whether the altruistic motive of being a burden to others or the self-oriented motive of being a burden on oneself is more relevant to suicidal ideation. Given this background, two rival mediation models were tested. Data from N = 228 outpatients (64% female; age: M(SD) = 38.69 (12.27), range:17-65) undergoing psychotherapy were collected at two measurement time points over a three-month period (first measurement = T1, second measurement = T2). The significant positive association between other-burdensomeness (T1) and suicidal ideation (T2) was partially mediated by self-burdensomeness (T1). Furthermore, the significant positive association between self-burdensomeness (T1) and suicidal ideation (T2) was partially mediated by other-burdensomeness (T1). Results suggest that suicidal ideation can develop from both an altruistic, self-sacrificial perception of being a burden to others, as well as from a more self-oriented perception of being a burden to oneself. There is no indication that either self-burdensomeness or other-burdensomeness is a stronger indicator in the development of suicidal ideation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Teismann
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julia Brailovskaia
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
| | - Morgan Robison
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lamontagne SJ, Zabala PK, Zarate CA, Ballard ED. Toward objective characterizations of suicide risk: A narrative review of laboratory-based cognitive and behavioral tasks. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105361. [PMID: 37595649 PMCID: PMC10592047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Although suicide is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, current prevention efforts have failed to substantively mitigate suicide risk. Suicide research has traditionally relied on subjective reports that may not accurately differentiate those at high versus minimal risk. This narrative review supports the inclusion of objective task-based measures in suicide research to complement existing subjective batteries. The article: 1) outlines risk factors proposed by contemporary theories of suicide and highlights recent empirical findings supporting these theories; 2) discusses ongoing challenges associated with current risk assessment tools and their ability to accurately evaluate risk factors; and 3) analyzes objective laboratory measures that can be implemented alongside traditional measures to enhance the precision of risk assessment. To illustrate the potential of these methods to improve our understanding of suicide risk, the article reviews how acute stress responses in a laboratory setting can be modeled, given that stress is a major precipitant for suicidal behavior. More precise risk assessment strategies can emerge if objective measures are implemented in conjunction with traditional subjective measures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Lamontagne
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Paloma K Zabala
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth D Ballard
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research Programs, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Soper C, Shackelford TK. Are depression and suicidality evolved signals? Evidently, no. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
|
7
|
Lin CC, Linscott RJ. Longitudinal mediation by perceived burden of the pathway from thwarted belonging to suicidal ideation. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2022; 52:1193-1204. [PMID: 36029099 PMCID: PMC10086865 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Whereas the interpersonal theory of suicide entails the assumption that thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness are equally important, mutually moderating, proximal causes of active ideation, evidence suggests these may not be co-moderating processes. We tested an alternative perspective, hypothesizing that burden mediates the longitudinal relationship of thwarted belonging with active ideation. METHODS A 6-week, four-wave prospective online survey was completed by 298 undergraduates. We tested cross-sectional and cross-lagged panel models (CLPM, with and without random effects) with belonging, burden, and ideation at 2-week lags, and post hoc models with burden as a concurrent mediator of ideation. RESULTS Approximately 28% of undergraduates reported active ideation at baseline. Cross-sectionally, thwarted belonging had no direct influence on ideation but indirectly affected ideation via burden. This result was not confirmed in the 2-week CLPM analyses. In post hoc analyses, we found belonging operated indirectly via later burden to influence contemporaneous ideation. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest thwarted belonging influences active ideation indirectly via perceived burden. The effect of burden as a mediator appears to depend on its temporal proximity to ideation. Future research should delimit the period during which perceived burden is an active mediator, accommodate dual-process approaches, and explore other mediation alternatives to co-moderation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Cheng Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Risk-Taking Behavior among Suicide Attempters. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11144177. [PMID: 35887941 PMCID: PMC9320022 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11144177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Suicidal behavior is a major mental health concern both for the individual and for the public health. Among others, suicidal behavior is associated with impulsivity, risk taking, pain tolerance, and a state of overarousal. In the present study, we investigated if suicide attempters (SAs) reported higher scores for risk-taking when compared with healthy controls (HC) of the general population. Methods: A total of 616 individuals (mean age: 27.07 years; 51.5% females) took part in the study; of those, 240 (39%) were individuals with a suicide attempt (SA) within a time lapse of one to three months, and 376 (61%) were healthy controls (HC). Participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographic information, risk-taking (Risk-Taking Questionnaire 18; RT-18), and suicidal behavior (Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised; SBQ-R). Results: Compared with HCs, individuals with SA reported higher risk-taking and suicidal behavior scores. The risk-taking questionnaire yielded a four-factor solution: Thrill and sensation seeking; Cautious procedure; Cautious decision making; Impulsive behavior. Compared with HCs, SAs showed the highest scores for thrill and sensation seeking and impulsive behavior. Conclusions: Compared with healthy controls, individuals reporting a recent suicide attempt also reported a higher propensity to thrill and sensation seeking and impulsive behavior as a proxy of risk-taking behavior. The present results corroborate the notion that, among others, suicide attempts appeared to be less related to premeditation, but rather to impulsive and thus spontaneous behavior.
Collapse
|
9
|
Hennefield L, Hao JM, Joiner T, Whalen D, Giorio C, Luby JL. Young children with suicidal thoughts and behaviors more likely to resolve conflicts with violence, homicide, or suicide: A study of internal working models using narratives. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2022; 131:26-33. [PMID: 35230126 PMCID: PMC9439584 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that young children who express suicidal ideation (SI) have a different conceptualization of death than their peers. This study characterizes 3- to 6-year-olds' depictions of violence, death, and suicidal themes in a story completion task as a function of their history of SI. Participants were 228 children with depression (3.0-6.9 years) who completed a comprehensive psychiatric assessment and four story stem narratives. For each narrative, an interviewer began a story with a conflict that the child was encouraged to resolve. Children's resolutions were coded for standard themes and negative atypical themes including violence and homicide, accidental harm or death, and suicidal ideation/acts. Themes were examined as a function of children's SI status: active-SI (n = 25), passive-SI (n = 28), or no history of SI (n = 175). Across the narratives, 89 children described at least one negative atypical theme: violence or homicide (n = 78), accidental harm or death (n = 22), and suicide (n = 13). The responses of children with active-SI included significantly more violence or homicide than children without SI. Moreover, current active-SI predicted suicidal themes. There were no group differences in accidental harm or death, nor in common aggressive or punitive acts (e.g., hitting, yelling, spanking), indicating specificity between active-SI and more intense violence and death-related themes. In sum, young children with active SI are more likely than their depressed peers without SI to incorporate violence, homicide, and suicide into their narratives around conflict resolution. These themes appear more salient to depressed children with SI and pervasive in their thoughts and problem-solving strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Diana Whalen
- Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | | | - Joan L. Luby
- Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Raising doubt about the anticipated consequences of suicidal behavior: Evidence for a new approach from laboratory and real-world experiments. Behav Res Ther 2021; 147:103971. [PMID: 34597872 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Converging evidence from basic science and experimental suicide research suggest that the anticipated consequences of suicide may have direct causal effects on suicidal behavior and accordingly represent a promising intervention target. Raising doubt about individuals' desirable anticipated consequences of suicide may be one means of disrupting this target. We tested this possibility across two complementary experimental studies. METHOD Study 1 tested the effects of raising doubt about desirable anticipated consequences on virtual reality (VR) suicide in the lab, randomizing 413 participants across four conditions. In Study 2, 226 suicidal adults were randomized to an anticipated consequence manipulation or control condition then re-assessed at 2- and 8-weeks post-baseline. RESULTS In Study 1, anticipating that engaging in VR suicide would guarantee a desirable outcome significantly increased the VR suicide rate; conversely, raising doubt about the desirable anticipated consequences significantly reduced the VR suicide rate. In Study 2, raising doubt about the anticipated consequences of attempting suicide by firearm significantly reduced the perceived lethality of firearms as well as self-predicted likelihood of future suicide attempts, with effects sustained at 2-week follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that raising doubt about desirable anticipated consequences of suicide merits further research as one potential approach to inhibit suicidal behavior.
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Drawing on interview and online ethnographic data from a study of suicide on the railways, this paper describes the ways in which many of the concepts, assumptions and practices of mainstream suicide prevention are challenged in the accounts of those who are planning, or have enacted, a suicide attempt. We reflect on the ethical dilemmas which can arise for researchers (and practitioners) when lived experience accounts diverge - theoretically, morally and in terms of practical implications - from present-day expert ones. In online, 'pro-choice' suicide discussions, people describe beliefs, attitudes, ways of thinking and acting which stand in contrast to existing professional and clinical descriptions of suicide and suicidal behaviour. Most obviously, there is often a rejection of 'pro-life' positions, which are framed as ideological, oppressive and naïve. For researchers engaging in online ethnography of 'pro-choice' spaces, dilemmas can arise in relation to the representation of perspectives which fundamentally challenge not only prevailing norms within suicide research and prevention practice but socio-cultural norms more widely. Similar issues can arise when considering how best to represent research participants when their accounts diverge from accepted 'expert' knowledge and beliefs. In-depth qualitative interviews with those who have thought about or attempted to take their own life indicate that existing theories and models of suicide which start from assumptions of deficit and pathology underestimate the extent to which suicide, as the end result of an often-complex series of actions, requires a person to engage in logistical processes of planning, decision-making, imagination and adaptation. The accounts described here, gathered using two different methodological approaches, highlight the ethical issues which can surface when there are competing claims to (expert) knowledge, as well as differences in beliefs, attitudes and moral stance towards life and death. We argue that researchers need to reflect on their own ethical-moral position in relation to suicide, and on the practical consequences of their privileging of some voices at the expense of other, less well represented, ones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Marsh
- Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Places of living and places of dying: the case for preventing suicide in residential long-term care. AGEING & SOCIETY 2021; 41:1945-1960. [PMID: 34621099 DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x20000173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
This commentary addresses the increasing public health problem of suicide in later life and presents the case for preventing suicide in residential long-term care settings. We do so by examining this issue from the perspective of three levels of stakeholders - societal, organisational and individual - considering the relevant context, barriers and implications of each. We begin by discussing contemporary societal perspectives of ageing; the potential impact of ageism on prevention of late-life suicide; and the roles of gender and masculinity. This is followed by a historical analysis of the origin of residential long-term care; current organisational challenges; and person-centred care as a suicide prevention strategy. Finally, we consider suicide in long-term care from the perspective of individuals, including the experience of older adults living in residential care settings; the impact of suicide on residential care health professionals and other staff; and the impact of suicide bereavement on family, friends and other residents. We conclude with recommendations for policy reform and future research. This commentary aims to confront the often unspoken bias associated with preventing suicide among older adults, particularly those living with complex medical conditions, and invoke an open dialogue about suicide prevention in this population and setting.
Collapse
|
13
|
Rogers ML, Duffy ME, Dougherty SP, Joiner TE. Interoception, Pain Tolerance, and Self-Injurious Behaviors: A Multidimensional Assessment. Behav Ther 2021; 52:1055-1066. [PMID: 34452661 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2021.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Impairments in interoception have been linked to self-injurious behaviors, and capability for suicide may account for this relationship. However, past studies have relied primarily on self-report and unidimensional measures. The present study aimed to replicate and extend previous findings by examining the relationship between interoceptive dysfunction, pain tolerance, and self-injurious behaviors using a multidimensional and multi-method approach. A sample of 245 undergraduate students (Mage = 19.27 years, SD = 2.81; 73.7% female, 72.% White/European American), who reported lifetime suicidal ideation on a screening survey completed a battery of self-report measures, four counterbalanced pain tolerance tasks, and a clinical interview assessing their self-injurious behaviors. A tendency to stay attuned to bodily sensations was significantly related to decreased pain tolerance. Only trust in one's body was significantly related to decreased presence of lifetime suicide attempts. No other facets of interoception or pain tolerance were significantly associated with self-injurious behaviors. Overall, these findings contrast with previous findings that capability for suicide may account for relations between interoceptive dysfunction and self-injurious behaviors. Nonetheless, the results of this study provide important information on the factor structure of interoceptive dysfunction and pain tolerance, and highlight the importance of careful selection of measures and operationalization of key constructs, particularly interoceptive dysfunction and pain tolerance.
Collapse
|
14
|
Crasta D, Spears AP, Sullivan SR, Britton PC, Goodman M. Better off with you: Exploring congruity between caregivers’ and Veterans’ experience of efforts to cope with suicide. MILITARY PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2021.1959222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dev Crasta
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Angela Page Spears
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sarah R. Sullivan
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Peter C. Britton
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Marianne Goodman
- Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
This paper offers a philosophical analysis of the connection between mental disorder and suicide risk. In contemporary psychiatry, it is commonly suggested that this connection is a causal connection that has been established through empirical discovery. Herein, I examine the extent to which this claim can be sustained. I argue that the connection between mental disorder and increased suicide risk is not wholly causal but is partly conceptual. This in part relates to the way suicidality is built into the definitions of some psychiatric diagnoses. It also relates to the broader normative assumption that suicidal behavior is by definition mentally disordered behavior. The above has significant epistemological implications, which I explore. I propose that the claim that suicide is connected with mental disorder cannot be justified solely by appealing to empirical evidence but also warrants a justification on conceptual and normative grounds.
Collapse
|
16
|
Keyes KM, Kandula S, Olfson M, Gould MS, Martínez-Alés G, Rutherford C, Shaman J. Suicide and the agent-host-environment triad: leveraging surveillance sources to inform prevention. Psychol Med 2021; 51:529-537. [PMID: 33663629 PMCID: PMC8020492 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172000536x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Suicide in the US has increased in the last decade, across virtually every age and demographic group. Parallel increases have occurred in non-fatal self-harm as well. Research on suicide across the world has consistently demonstrated that suicide shares many properties with a communicable disease, including person-to-person transmission and point-source outbreaks. This essay illustrates the communicable nature of suicide through analogy to basic infectious disease principles, including evidence for transmission and vulnerability through the agent-host-environment triad. We describe how mathematical modeling, a suite of epidemiological methods, which the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into renewed focus, can and should be applied to suicide in order to understand the dynamics of transmission and to forecast emerging risk areas. We describe how new and innovative sources of data, including social media and search engine data, can be used to augment traditional suicide surveillance, as well as the opportunities and challenges for modeling suicide as a communicable disease process in an effort to guide clinical and public health suicide prevention efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sasikiran Kandula
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Olfson
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madelyn S. Gould
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gonzalo Martínez-Alés
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid School of Medicine, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Davarinejad O, Mohammadi Majd T, Golmohammadi F, Mohammadi P, Radmehr F, Alikhani M, Motaei T, Moradinazar M, Brühl A, Sadeghi Bahmani D, Brand S. Identification of Risk Factors to Predict the Occurrences of Relapses in Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder in Iran. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020546. [PMID: 33440817 PMCID: PMC7827717 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder with a modest treatment outcome. In addition, relapses are commonplace. Here, we sought to identify factors that predict relapse latency and frequency. To this end, we retrospectively analyzed data for individuals with SSD. Medical records of 401 individuals with SSD were analyzed (mean age: 25.51 years; 63.6% males) covering a five-year period. Univariate and multivariate Penalized Likelihood Models with Shared Log-Normal Frailty were used to determine the correlation between discharge time and relapse and to identify risk factors. A total of 683 relapses were observed in males, and 422 relapses in females. The Relapse Hazard Ratio (RHR) decreased with age (RHR = 0.99, CI: (0.98–0.998)) and with participants’ adherence to pharmacological treatment (HR = 0.71, CI: 0.58–0.86). In contrast, RHR increased with a history of suicide attempts (HR = 1.32, CI: 1.09–1.60), and a gradual compared to a sudden onset of disease (HR = 1.45, CI: 1.02–2.05). Gender was not predictive. Data indicate that preventive and therapeutic interventions may be particularly important for individuals who are younger at disease onset, have a history of suicide attempts, have experienced a gradual onset of disease, and have difficulties adhering to medication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omran Davarinejad
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851115, Iran; (O.D.); (M.A.)
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Tahereh Mohammadi Majd
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Farzaneh Golmohammadi
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Payam Mohammadi
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Farnaz Radmehr
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Mostafa Alikhani
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851115, Iran; (O.D.); (M.A.)
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Tayebeh Motaei
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Mehdi Moradinazar
- Clinical Research Development Center, Imam Khomeini and Mohammad Kermanshahi and Farabi Hospitals, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851451, Iran; (T.M.M.); (F.G.); (P.M.); (F.R.); (T.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Annette Brühl
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (A.B.); (D.S.B.)
| | - Dena Sadeghi Bahmani
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (A.B.); (D.S.B.)
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851115, Iran
- Departments of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35209, USA
| | - Serge Brand
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851115, Iran; (O.D.); (M.A.)
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (A.B.); (D.S.B.)
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6719851115, Iran
- Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1416753955, Iran
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Price RB, Panny B, Degutis M, Griffo A. Repeated measurement of implicit self-associations in clinical depression: Psychometric, neural, and computational properties. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 130:152-165. [PMID: 33271040 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Implicit self-associations are theorized to be rigidly and excessively negative in affective disorders like depression. Such information processing patterns may be useful as an approach to parsing heterogeneous etiologies, substrates, and treatment outcomes within the broad syndrome of depression. However, there is a lack of sufficient data on the psychometric, neural, and computational substrates of Implicit Association Test (IAT) performance in patient populations. In a treatment-seeking, clinically depressed sample (n = 122), we administered five variants of the IAT-a dominant paradigm used in hundreds of studies of implicit cognition to date-at two repeated sessions (outside and inside a functional MRI scanner). We examined reliability, clinical correlates, and neural and computational substrates of IAT performance. IAT scores showed adequate (.67-.81) split-half reliability and convergent validity with one another and with relevant explicit symptom measures. Test-retest correlations (in vs. outside the functional MRI scanner) were present but modest (.15-.55). In depressed patients, on average, negative implicit self-representations appeared to be weaker or less efficiently processed relative to positive self-representations; elicited greater recruitment of frontoparietal task network regions; and, according to computational modeling of trial-by-trial data, were driven primarily by differential efficiency of information accumulation for negative and positive attributes. Greater degree of discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-worth predicted depression severity. Overall, these IATs show potential utility in understanding heterogeneous substrates of depression but leave substantial room for improvement. The observed clinical, neural, and computational correlates of implicit self-associations offer novel insights into a simple computer-administered task in a clinical population and point toward heterogeneous depression mechanisms and treatment targets. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
19
|
Morabito DM, Boffa JW, Bedford CE, Chen JP, Schmidt NB. Hyperarousal symptoms and perceived burdensomeness interact to predict suicidal ideation among trauma-exposed individuals. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 130:218-223. [PMID: 32841904 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation is well-established and recent prospective studies have demonstrated the unique role of hyperarousal symptoms. In particular, over-arousal may elevate suicide risk in the presence of interpersonal vulnerability factors including thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability. Therefore, the current study sought to examine the differential associations between PTSD symptom clusters and suicidality and the impact of interpersonal risk factors. Trauma-exposed adults (N = 247) completed a questionnaire battery at baseline and three-month follow-up, as part of a larger randomized controlled trial of computerized interventions for suicide risk. Given the focus of the current study, treatment condition was controlled for in all analyses. Results indicated that hyperarousal symptoms significantly predict suicidality, while reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms do not. Specifically, greater hyperarousal symptoms predicted increased suicidal ideation among individuals with high perceived burdensomeness. Although the interaction effect was not significant, hyperarousal symptoms were also pertinent among individuals with high acquired capability. Taken together, findings suggest that assessment of hyperarousal symptoms and perceived burdensomeness may serve to identify trauma-exposed individuals at greater risk for suicide. Additionally, these factors may serve as effective intervention targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Morabito
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
| | - Joseph W Boffa
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Carter E Bedford
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Jimmy P Chen
- Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC, USA, 29613
| | - Norman B Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Positive mental health mediates the relationship between physical activity and suicide-related outcomes: a three-year follow-up study. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-01152-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSuicide belongs to the leading causes of death worldwide. The present longitudinal study investigated physical activity (for example jogging, cycling) and positive mental health (PMH) as potential factors that can reduce the risk of suicide ideation and suicidal behavior. Data of 223 participants (79.4% women; Mage(SDage) = 22.85 (4.05)) were assessed at two measurement time points over a three-year period (2016: first measurement = baseline (BL); 2019: second measurement = follow-up (FU)) via online surveys. The results reveal a significant positive relationship between higher physical activity (BL) and higher PMH (BL). Higher scores of both variables were significantly negatively linked to lower suicide-related outcomes (FU). Moreover, the association between higher physical activity (BL) and lower suicide-related outcomes (FU) was significantly mediated by higher PMH (BL). The current findings demonstrate that physical activity in combination with PMH can reduce the risk of suicide-related outcomes. Fostering physical activity and PMH may be relevant strategies in the prevention of suicide ideation and suicide behavior.
Collapse
|
21
|
O’Shea BA, Glenn JJ, Millner AJ, Teachman BA, Nock MK. Decomposing implicit associations about life and death improves our understanding of suicidal behavior. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2020; 50:1065-1074. [PMID: 33463733 PMCID: PMC7689854 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test (IAT) is effective at detecting and prospectively predicting suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, traditional IAT scoring procedures used in all prior studies (i.e., D-scores) provide an aggregate score that is inherently relative, obfuscating the separate associations (i.e., "Me = Death/Suicide," "Me = Life") that might be most relevant for understanding suicide-related implicit cognition. Here, we decompose the D-scores and validate a new analytic technique called the Decomposed D-scores ("DD-scores") that creates separate scores for each category ("Me," "Not Me") in the IAT. Across large online volunteer samples (N > 12,000), results consistently showed that a weakened association between "Me = Life" is more strongly predictive of having a history of suicidal attempts than is a stronger association between "Me = Death/Suicide." These findings replicated across three different versions of the IAT and were observed when calculated using both reaction times and error rates. However, among those who previously attempted suicide, a strengthened association between "Me = Death" is more strongly predictive of the recency of a suicide attempt. These results suggest that decomposing traditional IAT D-scores can offer new insights into the mental associations that may underlie clinical phenomena and may help to improve the prediction, and ultimately the prevention, of these clinical outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. O’Shea
- Harvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
- University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Jeffrey J. Glenn
- Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care SystemDurhamNCUSA
- VA Mid‐Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical CenterDurhamNCUSA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Schomberg J, Teismann T, Bussmann S, Vaganian L, Gerlach AL, Cwik JC. The significance of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide in an oncological context-A scoping review. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2020; 30:e13330. [PMID: 32959421 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Since individuals afflicted with cancer are at an elevated risk of dying by suicide, understanding suicide-related ideation and behaviours is critical in identifying vulnerable patients. The interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) provides a framework to research risk factors for suicide and has been validated in different samples. The aim of this scoping review is to study literature related to IPTS and cancer patients. METHODS This scoping review was registered with the OPEN Science Framework (osf.io/92465). The databases PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed and PubMed Central were searched. Eligible research needed to use a minimum of one psychometric element to measure at least one of the factors of the IPTS in individuals with cancer. RESULTS Ninety-six studies were identified and screened. Eligible research included individuals with cancer and the use of at least one measurement of at least one of the factors of the IPTS. Overall, four articles met the inclusion criteria and three studies found significant associations of components of the IPTS and suicidal ideation/behaviour. CONCLUSION While these initial findings support the notion that the IPTS is relevant for individuals with cancer as well, a direct validation of the IPTS in cancer patients is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Schomberg
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Tobias Teismann
- Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bochum, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Sonja Bussmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Lusine Vaganian
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Alexander L Gerlach
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - Jan C Cwik
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jahangard L, Shayganfard M, Ghiasi F, Salehi I, Haghighi M, Ahmadpanah M, Sadeghi Bahmani D, Brand S. Serum oxytocin concentrations in current and recent suicide survivors are lower than in healthy controls. J Psychiatr Res 2020; 128:75-82. [PMID: 32535343 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide and suicide attempts are dramatic events both for the individuals concerned and for their social circles. From a psychopathological perspective, suicidal behavior could be understood as a severe breakdown in relations with their social worlds. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide highly involved in the perception of facets of social relationship such as their quality feelings of belongingness, and mutual trust. Given this, we expected that serum oxytocin concentrations would be lower in current and recent suicide survivors than in healthy controls. METHODS A total of 48 participants (mean age: 27 years; 62.5% females) took part in the study. Of these, 16 (62.5% females) survived a suicide attempt 12-24 h ago; 16 (62.5% females) had made a suicide attempt about 12 weeks ago, and 16 (62.5% females) were healthy age- and gender-matched controls. Blood samples were taken in the morning to assess serum oxytocin concentrations. Participants also completed questionnaires covering sociodemographic information and a scale assessing suicidal ideation. RESULTS Compared to healthy controls, suicide survivors had significantly lower serum oxytocin concentrations, but these levels did not differ between current and recent suicide survivors. Compared to healthy controls and recent suicide attempters, current suicide attempters recorded significantly higher scores on the Beck scale for suicidal ideation. Across the sample as a whole, higher scores for suicidal ideation were associated with lower serum oxytocin concentrations. Serum oxytocin concentrations and scores on the Beck scale for suicidal ideation did not differ between females and males. CONCLUSIONS Given that oxytocin is a neurobiological correlate of subjectively perceived quality of social interaction and social relationships, the results support the notion that suicide attempts are closely linked to suicide survivors' perceptions of the quality of their social lives. Speculatively, and based on the serum oxytocin concentrations, it also appears that 12 weeks after a suicide attempt, the survivor's perceived quality of social life has not significantly improved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jahangard
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mehran Shayganfard
- Department of Psychiatry, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Markazi, Iran
| | - Farahnaz Ghiasi
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Iraj Salehi
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Haghighi
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ahmadpanah
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Dena Sadeghi Bahmani
- Departments of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Psychiatry Department, Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Serge Brand
- University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Psychiatry Department, Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah, Iran; University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, Division of Sport and Psychosocial Health, Basel, Switzerland; Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Medicine, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Stanley IH, Hom MA, Gallyer AJ, Gray JS, Joiner TE. Suicidal behaviors among American Indian/Alaska Native firefighters: Evidence for the role of painful and provocative events. Transcult Psychiatry 2020; 57:275-287. [PMID: 31088223 DOI: 10.1177/1363461519847812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Firefighters represent a group at elevated suicide risk. Identifying segments of the fire service at increased risk may facilitate the targeted provision of suicide prevention initiatives. Among the general population, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals report higher rates of suicide attempts. This study sought to examine suicide attempt rates among AI/AN firefighters and to determine if greater exposure to painful and provocative events and/or fearlessness about death explains the relationship between AI/AN identity and suicidal behaviors. A total of 917 US firefighters completed a web-based mental health survey (6.2% AI/AN). Participants completed a modified version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Short Form, the Painful and Provocative Events Scale, and the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale-Fearlessness About Death scale. Bootstrap mediation analyses were conducted, controlling for years of service as a firefighter. Although AI/AN firefighters accounted for only 6.2% of the sample, they accounted for 34.4% of the career suicide attempts. AI/AN firefighters were 16.31 (95% CI = 7.96, 33.42) times more likely to report a career suicide attempt history than non-AI/AN firefighters, adjusting for years of service as a firefighter. Painful and provocative events, but not fearlessness about death, was a statistically significant mediator of the relationship between AI/AN identity and suicide attempts. Firefighters identifying as AI/AN represent a subgroup within the fire service at increased risk for suicide. Findings suggest that greater exposure to painful and provocative events among AI/AN firefighters may explain the elevated suicide risk among this population.
Collapse
|
25
|
What Makes a Partner Ideal, and for Whom? Compatibility Tests, Filter Tests, and the Mating Stability Matrix. Behav Sci (Basel) 2020; 10:bs10020048. [PMID: 32024253 PMCID: PMC7071359 DOI: 10.3390/bs10020048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a typological characterization of possible human heterosexual couples in terms of the concordance-opposition of the orientations of their active and receptive areas as defined by the tie-up theory. We show that human mating incentives, as characterized by widely adopted approaches, such as Becker’s marriage market approach, only capture very specific instances of actual couples thus characterized. Our approach allows us to instead explore how super-cooperation among partners vs. convenience vs. constriction may be regarded as alternatives modes of couple formation and cohesion, leading to very different types of couples with different implications in terms of stability and resilience. Our results may have interesting implications for future experimental research and for individual and family counseling.
Collapse
|
26
|
Cleary M, Singh J, West S, Rahkar Farshi M, Lopez V, Kornhaber R. Drivers and consequences of self-immolation in parts of Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Burns 2020; 47:25-34. [PMID: 31928787 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The prevalence of self-immolation is significantly higher in some Middle Eastern and Central Asian Islamic countries than in Western countries. Self-immolation typically occurs among females and can be either an attempt at suicide or an act of protest. This systematic review examined the drivers and consequences of self-immolation in Asian Islamic countries from the perspective of those affected by it, including survivors, family and health care staff in order to understand its higher prevalence in these countries. METHOD A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted in June 2018, using five electronic databases: PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Scopus and PsycINFO. Of the 236 papers identified, seven met the inclusion criteria. Authors independently rated the reporting of included qualitative studies and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS The drivers of self-immolation included marital and familial conflict, male-dominated culture, mental health disorders and economic and social factors. Survivors chose self-immolation in order to express their sense of a lack of control and mostly utilised this method due to its accessibility. The consequences of self-immolation were social isolation, regret, and physical and psychological impacts. CONCLUSIONS The reasons for self-immolation, its prevalence and the demographics of those who choose this means vary significantly between Asian Islamic and Western countries. This review confirmed the impact of culture, tradition, and societal structures and relationships on people's decisions to self-immolate. Education about the consequences of self-immolation may reduce the use of this method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Cleary
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Jaskaran Singh
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sancia West
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mahni Rahkar Farshi
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Violeta Lopez
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachel Kornhaber
- School of Nursing, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Becker SP, Foster JA, Luebbe AM. A test of the interpersonal theory of suicide in college students. J Affect Disord 2020; 260:73-76. [PMID: 31493642 PMCID: PMC6803099 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interpersonal theory of suicide posits that perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability together interact to increase risk for lethal self-injury. Despite the prominence of this theoretical model, few studies have directly tested the three-way interaction central to the theory, with mixed findings reported in studies to date. The objective of this study was to test the theorized three-way interaction in relation to suicidal behaviors in a large sample of college students. METHODS Undergraduate students were recruited from two universities (N = 1,686; ages 18-29; 64.5% female). Participants completed measures of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness (Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-25), fearlessness about death (Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale-Fearlessness About Death), and suicidal behaviors (Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised). RESULTS Multiple linear regression was used to test the three-way interaction among burdensomeness, belongingness, and fearlessness about death on suicidal behaviors. Controlling for sex and depressive symptoms, results indicated the presence of a significant three-way interaction. The interaction was probed by dichotomizing burdensomeness at high and low values. There was a significant two-way interaction at high burdensomeness such that low belongingness was only related to suicidal behavior at high levels of fearlessness about death. LIMITATIONS The study is cross-sectional and uses a composite measure of suicidal behaviors. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to a small but growing body of research testing the three-way interaction among perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and capability for suicide in relation to suicidal behaviors. Longitudinal studies using measures that distinguish between suicidal ideation and suicide attempt within the ideation-to-action framework are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for ADHD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Josalyn A. Foster
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for ADHD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Aaron M. Luebbe
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Hjelmeland H, Loa Knizek B. The emperor's new clothes? A critical look at the interpersonal theory of suicide. DEATH STUDIES 2020; 44:168-178. [PMID: 30696383 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1527796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide currently seems to be the most popular theory in suicidology. It posits that suicide can be explained by the simultaneous presence of three risk factors only, namely acquired capability for suicide, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness. Suicide is, however, widely accepted as a complex, multifactorial, and contextual phenomenon. It is, therefore, surprising that a theory comprised by three internal factors only is so uncritically embraced by suicide researchers. In this article, we scrutinize the theory's background, core components, and purported empirical evidence and argue that its popularity is highly unwarranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Hjelmeland
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Birthe Loa Knizek
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bauer BW, Capron DW. How Behavioral Economics and Nudges Could Help Diminish Irrationality in Suicide-Related Decisions. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2019; 15:44-61. [PMID: 31697611 DOI: 10.1177/1745691619866463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
People regularly make decisions that are not aligned with their own self-interests. These irrational decisions often stem from humans having bounded rationality (e.g., limited computational power), which produces reliable cognitive biases that occur outside of people's awareness and influences the decisions people make. There are many important decisions leading up to a suicide attempt, and it is likely that these same biases exist within suicide-related decisions. This article presents an argument for the likely existence of cognitive biases within suicide-related decision making and how they may influence people to make irrational decisions. In addition, this article provides new evidence for using a behavioral economic intervention-nudges-as a potential way to combat rising suicide rates. We explore how nudges can help increase means safety, disseminate suicide prevention skills/materials, diminish well-known biases (e.g., confirmation bias), and uncover biases that may be occurring when making suicide-related decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Bauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi
| | - Daniel W Capron
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
McNulty JK, Olson MA, Joiner TE. Implicit interpersonal evaluations as a risk factor for suicidality: Automatic spousal attitudes predict changes in the probability of suicidal thoughts. J Pers Soc Psychol 2019; 117:978-997. [PMID: 30869986 PMCID: PMC6745018 DOI: 10.1037/pspi0000180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Thwarted social connection is a critical risk factor for suicidality, and several theoretical perspectives highlight the importance of interpersonal affect to social connection. Given that marriage is an increasingly important source of social connection, we examined the role of automatic spousal attitudes-conceptualized as spontaneously activated affective associations involving one's spouse-in predicting suicidal thoughts in 3 longitudinal studies of married couples. Studies 1a (N = 204) and 1b (N = 159) demonstrated that more positive automatic spousal attitudes, assessed implicitly shortly after the marriage as the speed with which people categorized positive relative to negative words following photo-primes of their spouse, were associated with a weakened probability of the self-reported suicidal thoughts 1 year later. Study 2 (N = 229) provided further evidence that automatic spousal attitudes predict suicidal thoughts by showing that newly conditioned automatic spousal attitudes predicted suicidal thoughts. In that study, more positive automatic spousal attitudes exhibited after an evaluative conditioning procedure were associated with a reduced probability of suicidal thoughts 2 months later. Across studies, an increase (1 SD) in automatic spousal attitudes was associated with approximately a 50% decreased probability of suicidal thought. In all 3 studies, implicitly measured spousal attitudes captured variance in suicidal thoughts not captured by implicitly measured attitudes toward oneself and self-reported marital satisfaction, both of which proved to be less reliable predictors of suicidal thoughts. These findings highlight the importance of automatic interpersonal processes to well-being generally and suicidality specifically, and may thereby suggest novel methods for reducing risk of suicidality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
31
|
Hom MA, Duffy ME, Rogers ML, Hanson JE, Gutierrez PM, Joiner TE. Examining the link between prior suicidality and subsequent suicidal ideation among high-risk US military service members. Psychol Med 2019; 49:2237-2246. [PMID: 30355371 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718003124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research is needed to identify the factors that explain the link between prior and future suicidality. This study evaluated possible mediators of the relationship between: (1) the severity of prior suicidality and (2) suicidal ideation severity at 3-month follow-up among a sample of high-risk military personnel. METHODS US military service members referred to or seeking care for suicide risk (N = 624) completed self-report psychiatric domain measures and a clinician interview assessing prior suicidality severity at baseline. Three months later, participants completed a self-report measure of suicidal ideation severity. Three separate percentile bootstrap mediation models were used to examine psychiatric factors (i.e. alcohol abuse, anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, insomnia, posttraumatic stress symptoms, suicidal ideation, and thwarted belongingness) as parallel mediators of the relationship between prior suicidality severity (specifically, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and overall suicidality - i.e. ideation/attempt severity combined) at baseline and suicidal ideation severity at follow-up. RESULTS Hopelessness, specifically, and the total effect of all mediators, each significantly accounted for the relationship between prior suicidality severity and subsequent ideation severity across models. In the models with attempt severity and overall suicidality severity as predictors, thwarted belongingness was also a significant mediator. CONCLUSIONS Hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, and overall severity of psychiatric indices may explain the relationship between prior suicidality severity and future suicidal ideation severity among service members at elevated suicide risk. Research is needed to replicate these findings and examine other possible mediators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Hom
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Mary E Duffy
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Megan L Rogers
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Jetta E Hanson
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Peter M Gutierrez
- Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
- Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Thomas E Joiner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Humphrey N. The lure of death: suicide and human evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0269. [PMID: 30012736 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
At some point in evolutionary history, human beings came to understand, as no non-human animals do, that death brings to an end a person's bodily and mental presence in the world. A potentially devastating consequence was that individuals, seeking to escape physical or mental pain, might choose to kill themselves.This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary thanatology: impacts of the dead on the living in humans and other animals'.
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Fredrickson BL, Joiner T. Reflections on Positive Emotions and Upward Spirals. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2019; 13:194-199. [PMID: 29592643 DOI: 10.1177/1745691617692106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We reflect on our 2002 article and the impact this research report has had both within and beyond psychological science. This article was both one of the first publications to provide empirical support for hypotheses based on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and a product of the genesis of positive psychology. We highlight empirical and theoretical advancements in the scientific understanding of upward spiral dynamics associated with positive emotions, with particular focus on the new upward spiral theory of lifestyle change. We conclude by encouraging deeper and more rigorous tests of the prospective and reciprocal relations associated with positive emotions. Such progress is needed to better inform translations and applications to improve people's health and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara L Fredrickson
- 1 Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Thomas Joiner
- 2 Department of Psychology, Florida State University
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Insomnia predicts increased perceived burdensomeness and decreased desire for emotional support following an in-laboratory social exclusion paradigm. J Affect Disord 2019; 243:432-440. [PMID: 30273881 PMCID: PMC6192247 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research suggests that insomnia is associated with elevated perceptions of loneliness and social disconnection; however, few quasi-experimental studies have tested the relationship between these constructs. This study examined whether insomnia symptom severity predicts changes in perceptions of interpersonal connectedness and desire for emotional support following in-laboratory participation in a social exclusion paradigm. METHODS Young adults (N = 70) completed self-report measures assessing constructs of interest before and after engaging in a social exclusion paradigm (Cyberball). Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate whether baseline insomnia symptom severity predicted perceived burdensomeness, desire for emotional support, and thwarted belongingness after playing Cyberball; analyses controlled for baseline perceived burdensomeness, desire for emotional support, and thwarted belongingness, respectively, as well as baseline social anxiety and depression symptoms. RESULTS Greater insomnia symptom severity significantly predicted greater feelings of perceived burdensomeness following Cyberball participation, beyond baseline perceived burdensomeness, social anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms (β= .24, p = .001). More severe insomnia symptoms also significantly predicted lower desire for emotional support after playing Cyberball, beyond baseline desire for emotional support and social anxiety symptoms (β= -.14, p = .03) but not beyond baseline depression symptoms (β= -.16, p = .07). Insomnia symptoms were not significantly associated with thwarted belongingness after Cyberball (β= -.05-.08, p = .27-.57). LIMITATIONS Replication in larger samples and using other sleep disturbance indices is needed. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that individuals with more severe insomnia symptoms in the past two weeks experience greater perceptions of being a burden on others and less desire for emotional support in response to social exclusion.
Collapse
|
36
|
Hom MA, Stanley IH, Chu C, Sanabria MM, Christensen K, Albury EA, Rogers ML, Joiner TE. A Longitudinal Study of Psychological Factors as Mediators of the Relationship Between Insomnia Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation Among Young Adults. J Clin Sleep Med 2019; 15:55-63. [PMID: 30621841 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.7570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Prior cross-sectional studies indicate that psychological factors (eg, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness) may explain the relationship between insomnia and suicidal ideation. Longitudinal studies are needed, however, to examine how these variables may relate to one another over time. Using data collected at three time points, this study aimed to evaluate various psychological factors as mediators of the longitudinal relationship between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation. METHODS Young adults (n = 226) completed self-report measures of insomnia symptoms, suicidal ideation, and psychological factors (ie, disgust with self, others, and the world; perceived burdensomeness; thwarted belongingness; and loneliness) at baseline (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), and 2-month follow-up (T3). Bias-corrected bootstrap mediation models were utilized to evaluate each T2 psychological factor as a mediator of the relationship between T1 insomnia symptoms and T3 suicidal ideation severity, controlling for the corresponding T1 psychological factor and T1 suicidal ideation severity. RESULTS Only T2 disgust with others and T2 disgust with the world significantly mediated the relationship between T1 insomnia symptoms and T3 suicidal ideation severity. When both mediators were included in the same model, only T2 disgust with the world emerged as a significant mediator. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that disgust with others, and particularly disgust with the world, may explain the longitudinal relationship between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation among young adults. These factors may serve as useful therapeutic targets in thwarting the trajectory from insomnia to suicidal ideation. Research is needed, however, to replicate these findings in higher risk samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carol Chu
- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Rogers ML, Chu C, Joiner T. The necessity, validity, and clinical utility of a new diagnostic entity: Acute suicidal affective disturbance. J Clin Psychol 2019; 75:999-1010. [PMID: 30632615 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Here we argue for the necessity, validity, and clinical utility of a new diagnostic entity, acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD). METHOD We expand on the conceptual, clinical, and practical rationale for ASAD, propose its defining features, describe research results to date, and suggest avenues for future research. RESULTS There is accruing evidence for the existence of a previously unclassified, rapid-onset mood disturbance that geometrically escalates and regularly results in life-threatening behavior. CONCLUSIONS ASAD research may not only improve the field's understanding of suicidal behavior but also enhance clinical effectiveness and save lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Rogers
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Carol Chu
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Thomas Joiner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Suicide is a global public health problem, but very few theories have been developed for its etiology and effective prevention. Presented in this article is a comprehensive and parsimonious theory explaining the socio-psychological mechanism prior to suicidal behavior. Strain, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual’s life, is hypothesized to precede suicide. The strain theory of suicide (STS) proposes four sources of strain leading to suicide: (1) value strain from differential values; (2) aspiration strain from the discrepancy between aspiration and reality; (3) deprivation strain from the relative deprivation, including poverty; and (4) coping strain from deficient coping skills in the face of a crisis. This new model is built on previous notions of anomie (Durkheim, 1897/1951 ), strain theories of deviance (Merton, 1957 ) and crime (Agnew, 1992 ), although suicide is not a major target for explanation in those theories. Future research with rigorous quantitative data needs to be conducted to further test STS on a more comprehensive level.
Collapse
|
39
|
Khosravani V, Mohammadzadeh A, Sharifi Bastan F, Amirinezhad A, Amini M. Early maladaptive schemas and suicidal risk in inpatients with bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Res 2019; 271:351-359. [PMID: 30529318 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the associations of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and clinical factors (hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms) with suicidal risk (current suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts) in inpatients with bipolar disorder (BD). One hundred inpatients with BD completed the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF), the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). 59% of patients had lifetime suicide attempts and 59% showed high suicidal risk (BSSI ≥ 6). BD patients with lifetime suicide attempts had higher scores on the entitlement and social isolation schemas, depression, and hypomanic/manic symptoms than those without such attempts. Patients with high suicidal risk had higher levels of depressive and hypomanic/manic symptoms as well as some EMSs than those without high suicidal risk. Logistic regression analyses revealed that hypomanic/manic symptoms as well as the entitlement and defectiveness schemas were significantly associated with current suicidal ideation. Also, the entitlement and social isolation schemas were associated with lifetime suicide attempts. These results suggest that the entitlement, social isolation, and defectiveness schemas may relate to suicidal risk in patients with BD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Khosravani
- Clinical Research Development Center of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | | | - Ali Amirinezhad
- Psychosocial Injuries Research Centre, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Marziyeh Amini
- Clinical Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardebili University, Ardabil, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Capuzzi E, Bartoli F, Crocamo C, Malerba MR, Clerici M, Carrà G. Recent suicide attempts and serum lipid profile in subjects with mental disorders: A cross-sectional study. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:611-615. [PMID: 30384279 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral biomarkers for suicide have been studied generating mixed results. We investigated the association between serum lipid levels and suicide attempts in subjects with different mental disorders. We conducted a cross-sectional study, including 593 inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum, bipolar, major depressive, and personality disorders, hypothesizing that subjects with lower total cholesterol levels would have higher rates of recent suicide attempts. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals with lower total cholesterol levels (<160 mg/dL) showed lower rates also of suicide attempts (OR adjusted for age and gender: 0.56; one-tailed p = 0.03). Further logistic regression models failed to estimate any association of continuous levels between total/low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol/ triglycerides, and suicide attempts, also considering diagnosis and suicide methods. An association between lipid profile and suicide attempts in subjects with mental disorders is not fully supported. Further research is needed to clarify the role of biomarkers in suicidal behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Capuzzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy.
| | - Francesco Bartoli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy
| | - Cristina Crocamo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy
| | - Maria Rosaria Malerba
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy
| | - Massimo Clerici
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Carrà
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, via Cadore 38, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy; Division of Psychiatry, University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7NF, UK
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Hom MA, Stanley IH, Duffy ME, Davis L, Joiner TE. Examining the Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Suicide and Suicide Attempt History. CRISIS 2018; 40:265-272. [PMID: 30474408 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: Relatively little is known regarding the relationship between attitudes toward suicide, suicide attempt (SA) history, and future suicidal behaviors. Aims: Utilizing a sample of firefighters, this study compared attitudes toward suicide between individuals with/without a career SA history and evaluated whether certain attitudes toward suicide are associated with a greater self-reported likelihood of making a future SA. Method: US firefighters (N = 818) completed self-report measures. One-way ANOVAs and linear regression analyses were utilized to address study aims. Results: Firefighters with a career SA reported significantly greater normalization/glorification of suicide - yet lower attributions of suicide to isolation/depression - than those without this history. More stigmatizing attitudes toward suicide and greater normalization/glorification of suicide were each significantly associated with greater self-reported future SA likelihood. Limitations: Data were cross-sectional and findings may not be generalizable. Conclusion: Firefighters who have made an SA during their firefighting careers may normalize and glorify suicide more than those who have not. These attitudes may be associated with greater self-perceived risk for future SAs. Research is needed to replicate findings and evaluate strategies for targeting potentially harmful beliefs about suicide among SA survivors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Hom
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Ian H Stanley
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Mary E Duffy
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Lisa Davis
- 2 Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Culver City, CA, USA
| | - Thomas E Joiner
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Westefeld JS, Rinaldi AP. Suicide and the Human Service Professions in the Twenty-First Century: Current Issues and Future Directions. JOURNAL OF LOSS & TRAUMA 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2018.1490614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
43
|
Ahmadpanah M, Rahighi AH, Haghighi M. Female Gender, Marital and Family Problems, and Feelings of Guilt Are Related to Self-Immolation Suicide Attempts. Neuropsychobiology 2018; 76:51-58. [PMID: 29649810 DOI: 10.1159/000487859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Self-immolation (SI) is considered one of the most painful, dramatic, and at the same time most inexplicable methods of suicide, with a high social impact. Prevalence rates are particularly high in Iran, and in north-western Iran specifically. Here, we report sociodemographic, psychological, and psychiatric characteristics of patients attempting self-immolation (PSIs), compared to patients with accident burns (PABs). METHOD Patients referred to the Burns Emergency Unit of the Besat Hospital (Hamadan, Iran) were enrolled in the present study between winter 2015 and summer 2016. After burn-related treatments and surgery, a thorough interview was undertaken covering sociodemographic characteristics, burn-related information, and psychiatric background. RESULTS A total of 79 patients were enrolled. Among these, 19 (31.7%) had attempted suicide via SI. Compared to the PABs, the PSIs were predominantly females; they reported family and marital problems as the main triggers for SI. The psychiatric interviews indicated that PSIs often suffered from major depressive disorders, adjustment disorders, and bipolar disorders. The prevailing feelings reported were guilt and shame. A binary logistic regression showed that feelings of guilt and marital and family problems predicted SI. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of SI was surprisingly high. Marital and family conflicts as a proxy for highly distressing social interactions, along with female gender and feelings of guilt and shame were strongly associated with SI. Family and couple counseling specifically tailored to difficulties experienced by women might reduce the risk of SI.
Collapse
|
44
|
Joiner TE, Buchman-Schmitt JM, Chu C, Hom MA. A Sociobiological Extension of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. CRISIS 2018; 38:69-72. [PMID: 28317445 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Joiner
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Carol Chu
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Melanie A Hom
- 1 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Jahangard L, Solgy R, Salehi I, Taheri SK, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Haghighi M, Brand S. Cholecystokinin (CCK) level is higher among first time suicide attempters than healthy controls, but is not associated with higher depression scores. Psychiatry Res 2018; 266:40-46. [PMID: 29803785 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Suicide and suicide attempts are dramatic events for both the individuals concerned and for their social environments. Efforts have been made to identify reliable biological predictors of suicide and suicide attempts. In the present study, we focused on one potential marker, cholecystokinin (CCK), among first time suicide attempters. A total of 25 suicide attempters (mean age: 30 years; 80% females) and 23 healthy controls were enrolled in the present cross-sectional study. Experts rated participants' symptoms of depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; HDRS). Blood levels of CCK levels were assessed. Suicide attempters had CCK levels 22.67 times higher and HDRS scores 14.33 higher than healthy controls. CCK levels were only weakly associated with HDRS scores. CCK appears to be a fairly reliable biomarker for suicide attempts. However, CCK levels were not associated with depression scores, making it difficult to match biological markers to depressive behaviour.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Jahangard
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Rahmat Solgy
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Iraj Salehi
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Seyed Kazem Taheri
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Edith Holsboer-Trachsler
- University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mohammad Haghighi
- Research Center for Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Serge Brand
- University of Basel, Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Department of Sport, Exercise, and Health, Division of Sport and Psychosocial Health, Basel, Switzerland; Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Psychiatry Department, Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center and Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Wildland firefighters and suicide risk: Examining the role of social disconnectedness. Psychiatry Res 2018; 266:269-274. [PMID: 29573853 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has indicated that firefighters are at elevated suicide risk. Fire service organizations have called for research to examine fire service subgroups that might be at relatively increased suicide risk. Although anecdotal reports suggest that wildland firefighters represent one such group, to our knowledge, no study has empirically examined this conjecture. Thus, the present investigation examined if wildland firefighters report greater levels of suicide risk than non-wildland firefighters. Moreover, we sought to determine if two constructs proposed by the interpersonal theory of suicide to comprise suicidal desire-thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness-statistically explain the link between wildland firefighter status and suicide risk. Merged data from two nationwide investigations of firefighter mental health were utilized (N = 1,131; 68.2% male, 89.4% White). A total of 1.8% (n = 20) of the sample identified as wildland firefighters. Compared to non-wildland firefighters, wildland firefighters reported greater levels of suicide risk. Thwarted belongingness, but not perceived burdensomeness, statistically explained this link. Findings suggest that programs enhancing social connectedness within the fire service, particularly among wildland firefighters, might be one avenue for suicide prevention among firefighters. Results of this novel investigation should be interpreted in light of the relatively small subgroup of wildland firefighters.
Collapse
|
47
|
Hom MA, Stanley IH, Spencer-Thomas S, Joiner TE. Exposure to suicide and suicide bereavement among women firefighters: Associated suicidality and psychiatric symptoms. J Clin Psychol 2018; 74:2219-2237. [PMID: 30022494 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine experiences with suicide exposure and bereavement among women firefighters. METHODS Women firefighters (N = 266, Mage = 37.64y) completed self-report measures assessing their experiences with suicide exposure, history of suicidality, current psychiatric symptoms, and suicide risk. RESULTS Three-fourths (74.4%) of participants reported knowing someone who had died by suicide; of these participants, 31.3% reported losing a fellow firefighter to suicide. Exposure to suicide during one's firefighting career was associated with more severe psychiatric symptoms and suicide risk. Greater impact of a suicide death was significantly associated with more severe current suicide risk, even after controlling for prior suicidality and other psychiatric symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Women firefighters exposed to suicide during their careers may experience more severe psychiatric symptoms and increased suicide risk as compared to their counterparts without this exposure. In particular, women firefighters who are more severely impacted by a suicide loss may be at increased suicide risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie A Hom
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Ian H Stanley
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| | | | - Thomas E Joiner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Jasbi M, Sadeghi Bahmani D, Karami G, Omidbeygi M, Peyravi M, Panahi A, Mirzaee J, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Brand S. Influence of adjuvant mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans - results from a randomized control study. Cogn Behav Ther 2018; 47:431-446. [PMID: 29893182 DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2018.1445773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Even 30 or more years after the end of a war, veterans can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study, we explored the influence on symptoms of PTSD among Iranian veterans of the Iran-Iraq war of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as add-on to a standard treatment with citalopram. Forty-eight male veterans with PTSD (mean age: 52.97 years) took part in this eight-week intervention study. Standard treatment for all patients consisted of citalopram (30-50 mg/day at therapeutic dosages). Patients were randomly assigned either to the treatment or to the control condition. Treatment involved MBCT delivered in group sessions once a week. Patients in the control condition met at the hospital with the same frequency and duration for socio-therapeutic events. At baseline and at study completion, patients completed questionnaires covering symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress. At study completion after eight weeks, scores for PTSD (re-experiencing events, avoidance, negative mood and cognition, hyperarousal), depression, anxiety, and stress were lower, but more so in the intervention than the control group. Data suggest that, as adjuvant to standard SSRI medication, MBCT is an effective intervention to significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress among veterans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dena Sadeghi Bahmani
- b Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS) , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.,c Department of Psychiatry, Sleep Disorders Research Center , Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) , Kermanshah , Iran
| | | | | | - Maryam Peyravi
- f Researching Science Unit of Tehran , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | | | - Jafar Mirzaee
- h Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC) , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Edith Holsboer-Trachsler
- b Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS) , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Serge Brand
- b Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS) , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.,c Department of Psychiatry, Sleep Disorders Research Center , Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) , Kermanshah , Iran.,i Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health , University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Sadeghi Bahmani D, Faraji P, Faraji R, Lang UE, Holsboer-Trachsler E, Brand S. Is emotional functioning related to academic achievement among university students? Results from a cross-sectional Iranian sample. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [PMID: 29538489 PMCID: PMC6899408 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Whereas several studies have predicted academic achievement (AA) as a function of favorable cognitive factors and low negative emotional functioning (such as depression and anxiety), little is known about its associations with cognitive-emotional states of positive emotional functioning, such as social satisfaction. The present study sought to evaluate associations of AA with dimensions of negative and positive emotional functioning. Method: This cross-sectional study enrolled 275 students (mean age, 21.24 years; 66.1% females), who completed questionnaires covering sociodemographic parameters and AA scores, as well as measures of loneliness and depression (representing negative emotional functioning) and social satisfaction (representing positive emotional functioning). Results: Lower scores for negative and higher scores for positive emotional functioning were associated with higher AA scores. Multiple regression analysis showed that AA was predicted independently by both low negative and high positive emotional functioning. No gender differences were observed. Conclusions: The pattern of results observed in this study suggests that opposing dimensions of emotional functioning are independently related to AA. Students, educators, and health professionals dealing with students should focus both on increasing social satisfaction and on decreasing feelings of loneliness and depression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dena Sadeghi Bahmani
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Parviz Faraji
- Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Robab Faraji
- Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Undine E Lang
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Edith Holsboer-Trachsler
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Serge Brand
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center and Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
Whether upheld as heroic or reviled as terrorism, people have been willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their groups throughout history. Why? Previous theories of extreme self-sacrifice have highlighted a range of seemingly disparate factors, such as collective identity, outgroup hostility, and kin psychology. In this paper, I attempt to integrate many of these factors into a single overarching theory based on several decades of collaborative research with a range of special populations, from tribes in Papua New Guinea to Libyan insurgents and from Muslim fundamentalists in Indonesia to Brazilian football hooligans. These studies suggest that extreme self-sacrifice is motivated by identity fusion, a visceral sense of oneness with the group, resulting from intense collective experiences (e.g., painful rituals or the horrors of frontline combat) or from perceptions of shared biology. In ancient foraging societies, fusion would have enabled warlike bands to stand united despite strong temptations to scatter and flee. The fusion mechanism has often been exploited in cultural rituals, not only by tribal societies but also in specialized cells embedded in armies, cults, and terrorist organizations. With the rise of social complexity and the spread of states and empires, fusion has also been extended to much larger groups, including doctrinal religions, ethnicities, and ideological movements. Explaining extreme self-sacrifice is not only a scientific priority but also a practical challenge as we seek a collective response to suicide, terrorism, and other extreme expressions of outgroup hostility that continue to bedevil humanity today.
Collapse
|