Understanding Suicidal Behaviour

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How can suicide be prevented and treated by mental health professionals?

Understanding Suicidal Behaviour offers a clinical guide to the assessment, treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour, from a new and useful theoretical perspective. The book presents the arguments and research evidence that suicidal behaviour is not just a response to current emotional crises, but is influenced by persistent characteristics that can be defined in psychological and biological terms.

The approach in this book accommodates and goes beyond previous aspects thought important in suicidal behaviour, like mental disorder and social stress.

The key concept of vulnerability may provide new approaches to treatment to supplement the existing treatments, which are of limited efficacy.

Challenges professionals to understand suicidal behaviour from a basis of vulnerability, personality, and development - and as a process that includes social, biological, and psychological interactions

Offers ways in predicting suicidal behaviour and indicating earlier, effective interventions
Cutting edge discussion of implications for the study and treatment of suicidal behaviour, by some of the leading authorities in the field

"...warrants a place on the shelf of any suicidologist, clinician or researcher with an interest in suicidal behaviour...the editor and contributors ought to be commended on a comprehensive and lucid volume." British Journal of Clinical Psychology About the Editors.

List of Contributors.

Introduction.

PART I THE SUICIDAL PROCESS: AN OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH FINDINGS

The Suicidal Process and Related Concepts (K. von Heeringen)

Pathways to Suicide: The Epidemiology of the Suicidal Process Ad (Kerkhof and E. Arensman)

Stress and Suicidal Behaviour (L. Traskman-Bendz and A. Westrin)

About the Biological Interface between Psychotraumatic Experiences and Affective Dysregulation (H.M. van Praag)

Psychological Aspects of the Suicidal Process (J.M.G. Williams and L.R. Pollock)

Personality Constellations and Suicidal Behaviour (A. Apter and H. Ofek)

Ethology and the Suicidal Process (R.D. Goldney)

Towards a Psychobiological Model of the Suicidal Process (K. van Heeringen)

PART II THE SUICIDAL PROCESS APPROACH: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING AND TREATMENT OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR

Suicide Risk Assessment and the Suicidal-Process Approach (L. Amsel and J.J. Mann)

The Suicidal Process and Society (U. Bille-Brahne)

The Treatment of Suicidal Behaviour in the Context of the Suicidal Process K. (Hawton)

Suicide as Goal-directed Action (K. Michel and L. Valach)

Psychopharmacological Approaches to the Suicidal Process (K.M. Malone and M. Moran)

Psychotherapeutic Implications of the Suicidal Approach (I. Kienhorst and K. van Heeringen)

The Process Approach to Suicidal Behaviour: Future Directions in Research, Treatment and Prevention (K. van Heeringen)

Author Index.

Subject Index. "...For those of you who daily encounter this problem I have no hesitation in recommending this book..." (Accident & Emergency Nursing, No.10, 2002)

Kees van Heeringen, University Hospital Gent, Belgium.

How can suicide be prevented and treated by mental health professionals?

This book offers a clinical guide to the assessment, treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour, from a new and useful theoretical perspective - a developmental process approach. The book presents the arguments and research evidence that suicidal behaviour is not just a response to current emotional crises, but is influenced by persistent characteristics that can be defined in psychological and biological terms.

The authors bring together research-based evidence that establishes three key aspects of the developmental process approach: suicidal behaviour results from the interaction between stressful life events and an individual vulnerability; this individual vulnerability is itself the product of psychobiological factors, genetics and past life events; vulnerability, in this sense, influences how the individual perceives, interprets and reacts to adverse life events, perhaps leading to hopelessness and suicidal behaviour.

Psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and other mental health practitioners will appreciate the conceptual and clinical value of this book based on its:

• Description of biological and psychological developmental processes leading to suicide, integrating evidence-based information from a broad range of disciplines
• Psychobiological definition of long- and short-tem risk factors for suicide, and innovative approach to psychological and biological targets for treatment and prevention
• Cutting-edge discussion of implications for the study and treatment of suicidal behaviour, by some of the leading authorities in the field