The Interpersonal Psychological Theory Of Suicidal Behavior
To think about whether something can be prevented or not, we must first understand its meaning. Suicide is not equivalent to a death wish, but rather a deep desire to abandon a life that is considered difficult or impossible to bear.
Dr. Thomas Joiner, creator of the interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior, proposes through his research that an individual will not die by suicide unless he or she has the desire to die by suicide and has the ability to carry out his or her desire, based on problems connecting with others. Next we will see what this theory consists of.
The interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior
The theoretical basis of this approach has three main components.
1. Frustrated sense of belonging
The first element of the theory is a frustrated sense of belonging; and the evidence indicates that, when people die by suicide, the majority feel disconnected from others, giving rise to an idea and feeling on the part of individuals that no one really cares about them and alternatively, 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 to care about them, but dysfunctional automatic thoughts are capable of skewing individuals’ perceptions about the world they live in. surrounds them.
Additionally, even if 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 unpleasant experience, so people may feel distanced from others who did not experience the same overwhelming events. , regardless of the knowledge that others have about said event.
2. The perceived burden
The second component is perceived burdensomeness, which, like frustrated belongingness, generally is driven by distorted automatic thoughts; and it is these two components that make up the “suicide desire.”
People who experience elevations in this variable feel that they are not making valuable contributions to the world around them. They may become inundated with thoughts of uselessness and worthlessness, consequently becoming certain that the lives of others would improve if they disappeared or that there would be no difference to their own existence.
Once 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 These are several examples of types of experiences that can generate a feeling 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, acquired capacity, validates the process that occurs when the brain centers responsible for motivation and learning interact and mood changes the perceived intensity of pain. This is how physical pain becomes less pronounced over time as the body becomes accustomed to the experience.
In this way, people who self-injure develop courage in the face of pain and injury, and according to the theory, they acquire this preparation through a process of repeatedly experiencing painful events These experiences often include prior self-injury, but may also include other experiences, such as repeated accidental injuries; numerous physical fights; and occupations such as that of a doctor or a frontline soldier in which exposure to pain and injury, either directly or indirectly, have become common.
Any attempt to die should be considered a serious act, because many people repeat their actions. People who do anything to ensure their intention to die is seen. It is their own indirect way of asking for help, the situation they are experiencing is accompanied by great anguish, and what they are asking for is to be saved.
So can the theory prevent suicide?
The interpersonal psychological theory of suicidal behavior emphasizes the importance of specialists knowing 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 help in the task of suicide risk assessment and in the therapeutic process, the intervention requires knowing these variables and being able to address these cognitive distortions in time and are capable of giving a twist to the cognitions that affect us.
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.
