Interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior

To think about whether something can be prevented or not, we must first understand its meaning. Suicide does not amount to a death wish, but rather to a deep desire to abandon a life that is considered difficult or impossible to cope with.

Dr. Thomas Joiner, creator of the interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior, proposes through his investigations that an individual will not die by suicide unless he has the desire to die by suicide and possess the ability to carry out his wish, based on the problems to connect with the the rest. Next we will see what this theory consists of.

• Related article: "Suicidal thoughts: causes, symptoms and therapy"

The interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior

The theoretical basis for this approach has three main components.

1. Thwarted sense of belonging

The first element of the theory is a frustrated sense of belonging; And it is that the evidence indicates that, when people die by suicide, most of them feel disconnected from others, originating an idea and feeling on the part of individuals that

nobody really cares about themAlternatively, it may reflect the feeling that while "some may care", no one can relate to them and understand their situation.

Both sensations leave deep feelings of loneliness, the person feels isolated and clearly helpless, this idea contradicts a different reality many times since people who die by suicide rarely, if ever, lack others who care about them, but automatic thoughts Dysfunctional are capable of skewing the perceptions of individuals about the world around them.

In addition, although there are people who care about them, they cannot relate to their lived experience in the case of people who have gone through a trauma or experience unpleasant, so people may feel alienated from others who did not experience the same overwhelming events, regardless of how much knowledge others have about it. said event.

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2. The perceived load

The second component is the perceived burden, which, like frustrated membership, generally is driven by distorted automatic thoughts; and it is these two components that make up the "suicide wish."

People who experience elevations in this variable feel that they are not making valuable contributions to the world around them. They can be flooded with thoughts of worthlessness and worthlessness, consequently they become sure of that the lives of others would improve if they disappeared or there would be no difference about existence own.

Again, such beliefs, if not true, are a common cognitive tendency on the part of individuals after experiencing particular types of events. Losing a job, losing a promotion, going into retirement, and failing an exam are several examples of types of experiences that can generate a sense of distress. In the case of thoughts intervened by comments followed by constant emotional abuse, they only reaffirm the constant self-disqualification that an individual already possesses.

3. The acquired capacity

The third element, the acquired capacity, revalidates the process that occurs when the brain centers responsible for motivation and learning interact and the mood changes the perceived intensity from pain. This is how physical pain becomes less pronounced over time as the body adjusts to the experience.

In this way, people who self-injure develop courage in the face of pain and injury, and that according to theory, acquire this preparation through a process of repeatedly experiencing painful events. These experiences often include previous self-harm, but can also include other experiences, such as repeated accidental injuries; numerous physical fights; and occupations such as a doctor or front-line soldier in which exposure to pain and injury, either directly or indirectly, has become common.

Any attempt to die should be considered a serious act, because many people repeat their actions. People who do anything to ensure that their intention to die is seen. It is their own indirect way of asking for help, the situation they live is experiencing great anguish, and what they ask is to be saved.

So can theory prevent suicide?

The interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior emphasizes the importance of knowledge of the levels of belonging, perceived burden and acquired capacity of their patients (especially if there is a history of previous suicide attempts), since this knowledge can assist in the suicide risk assessment task and in the therapeutic process, the intervention requires knowing these variables and being able to tackling these cognitive distortions in time are capable of giving a twist to the cognitions that we affect.

Some techniques to use are cognitive restructuring proposed by Aaron T. Beck; This tool is recognized worldwide as very effective in eliminating / treating anxiety, depression and stress. The idea is to address cognitive patterns, dysfunctional beliefs to try to modify or weaken them.

Bibliographic references:

• Thomas Joiner, PhD. (June 2009). American Psychological Association APA. Obtained from The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior: Current Empirical Status: http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2009/06/sci-brief.aspx