Chapter 9: Suicide Flashcards
Suicide
a self-inflicted death in which the person acts intentionally, directly, and consciously
Parasuicide
a suicide attempt that does not result in death
Death Seeker
a person who clearly intends to end his or her life while attempting suicide
Death Initiator
a person who attempts suicide believing that the process of death is already underway and that he or she is simply hastening the process
Death Ignorer
a person who attempts suicide without recognizing the finality of death. They believe that they are trading in their present lives for a better or happier existence
Death Darer
a person who is ambivalent about the wish to die even while attempting suicide. Experience mixed feelings, or ambivalence, about their intent to die, even at the moment of their attempt, and they show this ambivalence in the act itself (e.g., Russian roulette)
Retrospective Analysis
a psychological autopsy in which clinicians piece together information about a person’s suicide from the person’s past (e.g., talk to relatives, friends, therapists, etc.)
Limitations of Retrospective Analysis
sources of information are not always available or reliable (e.g., a grieving, perhaps guilt-ridden relative or a distraught therapist may be incapable of objective recollections or simply reluctant to discuss an act that is so stigmatizing in our society)
Gender differences in rates of suicide
- 3x as many women attempt suicide as men
- 3x as many men die from their attempts as women
- Men use more violent methods
- Men use guns 62% of the time
- Women use guns 37% of the time
Age differences in rates of suicide
- Uncommon among children, although rates are rising
- Adolescents suicide attempts are numerous and linked to depression, impulsiveness, and major stress
- High attempt rate among adolescents may be related to weakening family ties, availability to drugs, and suicide contagion
- American Indian teens have 2x higher rate of suicide compared to white teens and 3x compared to African/Hispanic/Asian American teens
- Elderly in western societies are more likely to end their lives
Racial differences in rates of suicide
- White Americans suicide rate is 2x that of African/Hispanic/Asian Americans
- American Indian suicide rate is higher than American whites
- Puerto Rican Americans are more likely to attempt suicide than any other Hispanic American group
Triggers of suicide
- Stressful events and situations
- Mood and thought changes
- Alcohol and other drug abuse
- Mental disorder
Stressful events and situations that trigger suicide
- Social isolation: limited or no social support
- Serious illness: those with illness that causes extreme pain or is incurable, feel that death is inevitable
- Abusive/repressive environment: victims of abuse or repression, use suicide as an escape
- Occupational stress: high tension and dissatisfaction at their job
Mood and thought changes that trigger suicide
- Hopelessness: pessimistic belief that one’s present circumstances, problems, or mood will not change
- Dichotomous thinking: viewing problems and solutions in rigid either/or terms
- Increase in sadness, anxiety, tension, frustration, anger, shame
Alcohol and other drug use that trigger suicide
- 70% of people who attempt suicide drink alcohol before they do so
- alcohol and other drugs can reduce inhibitions/fears and impairs judgment
