Flashcards
Psych 239 Tuesday Week 13
Cards in this deck (24)
- 1Warning Signs of Suicide- Warning signs that might suggest someone is at risk of suicide include:
- thinking or talking about suicide
- having a plan for suicide
- Other signs and behaviours that might suggest that someone is at risk of suicide include:
- withdrawal from family, friends or activities
- feeling like you have no purpose in life or reason for living
- increasing substance use, like drugs, alcohol and inhalants
- feeling trapped or that there's no other way out of a situation
- feeling hopeless about the future or feeling like life will never get better
- talking about being a burden to someone or about being in unbearable pain
- anxiety or significant mood changes, such as anger, sadness or helplessness - 2Definitions - Suicide- Suicide is the intentional ending of one's own life
- "Attempted suicide": when a person attempts to end their own life
- Vast majority of attempts do not result in death, for one reason or another
- "Suicide survivors": may refer to a person who attempts but does not die by suicide, or to those bereaved by suicide - 3Definitions - Sub-intentional deaths- When people play an indirect, partial or unconscious role in their own death
- ie the death is not consciously, deliberately willed, but still occurs as a predictable outcome of the person's behaviour
- Ex. "deaths of despair": rise in overdose and alcohol-related deaths amongst low SES Americans (as well as direct suicides)
- "Death darers": people who do extremely risky things, where death is possible but not guranteed - 4Self-harm- "Self-harn"/"self-injury": behaviour which causes harm/injury to oneself
- May be intentional, or a predictable consequence of behaviours performed for other reasons
- Death is not intended, but may occur unintentuonally - 5Populations at higher risk of suicide in Canada- Men and boys
- People serving federal sentences
- Survivors of suicide loss and survivors if a suicide attempt
- Some First Nation and Métis communities, especially among youth
- People who live in Inuit regions in Canada
- Women have higher rates of self-harm; self-harm can be at risk factor for suicide
- Thoughts of suicide and suicide-related behaviours are more frequent among 2SLGBTQI+ youth in comparison to their non-LGBTQ peers - 6Causes of Suicide (Individual) - In media- In media, suicide is often depicted as random or inexplicable
- This is rarely the case; suicide is frequently preceded by warning signs, and is usually precipitated by severe stress (acute or chronic)
- Immediate stressors: loss of a loved one, end of a relationship, job loss, financial loss, natural disasters
- Chronic stressors: social isolation/ loneliness, serious injury/ illness, trauma, occupational stress
- In either case, the person feels like the situtation is irrecoverable /permanent, and there is nothing they can do to make things better - 7Causes of Suicide (Individual) - Stress- Stress does not inevitably or commonly lead to suicide
- The vast majority of ppl who experience stress adapt to and overcome the situation w/o ever considering or attempting suicide - 8Causes of Suicide (Individual) - Claim 1- Suicide is associated with impulsivity, as a personality trait
- Evidence suggests a small effect - 9Causes of Suicide (Individual) - Claim 2- Suicides are impulsive decisions, with little forethought or opportunity for intervention
- Evidence suggests that this is uncommon; most suicide attempts are planned, and planned attempts are more lethal
- Impulsive actors tend to have fewer risk factors for frequent suicide attempts (depression, family history, history of abuse, substance addiction) - 10Causes of Suicide (Sociocultural)- The first person to study suicide as a phenomenon was Émile Durkheim, who argued that rates of suicide depend on two variables: social integration and social regulation
- 11Causes of Suicide (Sociocultural) - Integration- Whether or not people have strong attachments to each other and to society as a whole
- Too little integration leads to feelings of meaningless and loneliness
- Paradoxically, suicides are also more likely in people / societies with extremely strong integration, as ppl will sacrifice themselves for causes - 12Causes of Suicide (Sociocultural) - RegulationThe degree to which society monitors and controls individual behaviour
- 13Causes of Suicide (Interpersonal) - In contemporary literature- Individual and sociocultural factors are typically both acknowledged
- Suicide occurs when individual and social factors intersect in particular ways - 14Causes of Suicide (Interpersonal) - "Interpersonal theory"- Suicide occurs when ppl hold certain beliefs concerning their relationships with other ppl
- "Perceived burdensomeness": the belief that one is a burden to others; that people would be better off w/o them
- "Thwarted belongingness": when ppl want to have relationships w other ppl or belong to social groups, but feel incapable or rejected (whether this perception is accurate or not) - 15Causes of Suicide (Interpersonal) - What leads to what- Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongness lead to suicidal ideation/ suicidal thoughts
- To attempt suicide, the individual must hold those two beliefs, and then also have the "psychological capacity" for suicide
- ex. high pain tolerance or low fear of death
- This capability is acquired through various means, which may differ based on the individual - 16Physician-Assisted Suicide- Mixed evidence on whether avoiding / ending pain os the primary motive:
Yu et al (2019): "Pain is not the main motivation for PAS; Typically, less than 33% of patients experience inadequate pain control; The dominant motives are loss of autonomy and dignity and being less able to enjoy life's activities"
- Self-determination theory: people derive life satisfaction from feelings of competency, autonomy, and relatedness
- Gaignard et al. (2023): PAS is due to existential suffering: "Almost all participants encountered difficulties when facing existential suffering, most of them related to a feeling of helplessness..." - 17Treatment for Suicide- Suicidal ideation and suicidal desires can be treated
- People who survive a suicide attempt can benefit from treatment to recover to a non-suicidal state, and reduce their risk of subsequent attemopts - 18CBT for Suicide - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)- Clients are encouraged to acknowledge and accept negative emotions, rather than avoid or deny them
- Goal is to increase resilience - 19CBT for Suicide - Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)- Focuses on skills training to help ppl regulate emotions and communicate effectively with others
- Incorporates a variety of techniques (indiv and group/family therapy, phone coaching, medication management) - 20Other therapies - Any therapyAt a prison in Australia, every day of attendance at an art program for Aboriginal prisoners was associated with 19% reduction in suicide/ self-harm risk
- 21Other therapies - Psychotherapy/ Existentialism- Viktor Frankl's "Logotherapy": an appeal to meaning
- The Hero's Journey (Shumaker, 2017): every hero has to pass through the abyss /"dark night of the soul" where things seem hopeless - 22Suicide Prevention- Therapists of all kinds are often trained to recognize warning signs for suicide
- Suicide prevention centres and hotlines exist for ppl to receive quick/ immediate help during periods of crisis
- Establish a positive relationship -> understand/ clarify the problems -> assess suicide potential -> assess and mobilize the caller's resources -> formulate a plan - 23Suicide Prevention - School inclusion policiesGSA'S, anti-bullying policies, education days, etc. are associated with decreases in suicidal ideation and social exclusion, and increased belongingness amongst both LGB and heterosexual boys/ girls
- 24Suicide Hotlines- Canada now has a nationwide 3-digit number for suicide prevention: 9-8-8
- You can also call Talk Suicide Canada toll-free at 1-833-456-4566
- Or, call 2-1-1 in Alberta to find local programs and services
- Call 9-1-1 for emergencies