INSEAD Library

Includes bibliographical references and index

Digitized

Suicide-Related Behaviour Understanding, Caring and Therapeutic Responses Contents Preface xv 1 A personal reflection on suicide-related behaviour 1 Experiencing suicide ­ a shattered innocence 2 Summary 9 2 Contemporary issues in suicide-related behaviour 11 Suicide-related behaviour ­ the ultimate contradiction 11 Ethical issues in suicide-related behaviour 15 Rational suicide 19 Euthanasia 21 Legal and religious issues 24 Attitudes to suicide-related behaviour 25 Attitudes of 'others' to suicidal behaviour 28 Competency in interpersonal skills 29 Summary 31 3 Clarifying the terminology 33 The problem with too many different terms 33 Suicide intent 42 Lethality of method 44 Ambivalence 46 Risk-taking behaviour 47 The concept of suicide-related behaviour 49 Death-orientated suicide-related behaviour 51 Life-orientated suicide-related behaviour 51 Summary 52 4 The concept of suicide-related behaviour 53 What is suicide-related behaviour? 53 Understanding suicide-related ideation 57 Understanding attempted suicide 62 Understanding suicide 65 Understanding self-harm 68 Repetitive self-harm 74 Summary 76 5 The descent into crisis 79 Why suicide-related behaviour? 79 What are stressors? 82 Theoretical perspectives on stressors 84 (a) The biological perspective 84 (b) The psychological perspective 86 (c) The psychoanalytical perspective 87 (d) The psychodynamic developmental perspective 89 (e) The cognitive perspective 91 (f) The situational or stressful life events perspective 92 (g) The social integration perspective 101 (h) The mental ill-health perspective 103 Crisis 107 Summary of stressors leading to suicide-related behaviour 109 6 Responding to crisis 111 A person's response to crisis 111 The biological response to stressors 112 Coping abilities as buffers against stressors 113 Cognitive and emotional responses as buffers against stressors 114 Social support as a buffer against stressors 115 Positive attitude as a buffer against stressors 116 Individual differences as buffers against stressors 117 The person's behavioural response to crisis 118 Help seeking behaviour ­ contact with the caring services 121 Stressor resolved 124 Stressor unresolved ­ crisis 124 Summary 126 7 Caring responses to suicide-related behaviour 127 The case for a caring response 128 Personal qualities of the practitioner 130 (a) Self-awareness 131 (b) Confidentiality 132 (c) Unconditional positive regard 133 (d) Congruence 134 (e) Empathy 134 The skills required in the therapeutic relationship 135 (a) Non-verbal cues as a means of communicating 136 (b) Verbal responses in the therapeutic relationship 138 (c) Paraphrasing in the therapeutic relationship 138 (d) Reflection in the therapeutic relationship 141 (e) Questions in the therapeutic relationship 142 (f) Silence in the therapeutic relationship 143 An example of a caring response 144 Summary 153 8 Therapeutic responses to suicide-related behaviour 155 A medical response -- medications 156 A therapeutic response -- additional notes 159 A therapeutic response -- the assessment 159 (a) Set induction 161 (b) Assess events leading up to admission 162 (c) Assess personal history 163 (d) The care plan 164 A therapeutic response -- problem management 165 A therapeutic response -- challenging negative cognitions 168 (a) The initial assessment 171 (b) Making the A -- C link 171 (c) Making the B -- C link 172 A caring and therapeutic response to self-harm 174 Summary 177 References 179 Index 205