Understanding Suicidal Behaviour: The Suicidal Process Approach to Research, Treatment and Prevention (Wiley Series in Clinical Psychology) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471491667 ISBN 13: 9780471491668

Publisher: Wiley, 2002

Synopsis

NEW IN PAPERBACK

How can suicide be prevented and treated by mental health professionals?

Understanding Suicidal Behaviour offers a clinical guide to the assessment, treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour, from a new and useful theoretical perspective. The book presents the arguments and research evidence that suicidal behaviour is not just a response to current emotional crises, but is influenced by persistent characteristics that can be defined in psychological and biological terms.

The approach in this book accommodates and goes beyond previous aspects thought important in suicidal behaviour, like mental disorder and social stress.

The key concept of vulnerability may provide new approaches to treatment to supplement the existing treatments, which are of limited efficacy.

Challenges professionals to understand suicidal behaviour from a basis of vulnerability, personality, and development - and as a process that includes social, biological, and psychological interactions

Offers ways in predicting suicidal behaviour and indicating earlier, effective interventions
Cutting edge discussion of implications for the study and treatment of suicidal behaviour, by some of the leading authorities in the field

"...warrants a place on the shelf of any suicidologist, clinician or researcher with an interest in suicidal behaviour...the editor and contributors ought to be commended on a comprehensive and lucid volume." British Journal of Clinical Psychology

About this title

About the Author

Kees van Heeringen, University Hospital Gent, Belgium.

From the Back Cover

How can suicide be prevented and treated by mental health professionals?

This book offers a clinical guide to the assessment, treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour, from a new and useful theoretical perspective - a developmental process approach. The book presents the arguments and research evidence that suicidal behaviour is not just a response to current emotional crises, but is influenced by persistent characteristics that can be defined in psychological and biological terms.

The authors bring together research-based evidence that establishes three key aspects of the developmental process approach: suicidal behaviour results from the interaction between stressful life events and an individual vulnerability; this individual vulnerability is itself the product of psychobiological factors, genetics and past life events; vulnerability, in this sense, influences how the individual perceives, interprets and reacts to adverse life events, perhaps leading to hopelessness and suicidal behaviour.

Psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and other mental health practitioners will appreciate the conceptual and clinical value of this book based on its:

• Description of biological and psychological developmental processes leading to suicide, integrating evidence-based information from a broad range of disciplines
• Psychobiological definition of long- and short-tem risk factors for suicide, and innovative approach to psychological and biological targets for treatment and prevention
• Cutting-edge discussion of implications for the study and treatment of suicidal behaviour, by some of the leading authorities in the field

From the Inside Flap

How can suicide be prevented and treated by mental health professionals?

This book offers a clinical guide to the assessment, treatment and prevention of suicidal behaviour, from a new and useful theoretical perspective - a developmental process approach. The book presents the arguments and research evidence that suicidal behaviour is not just a response to current emotional crises, but is influenced by persistent characteristics that can be defined in psychological and biological terms.

The authors bring together research-based evidence that establishes three key aspects of the developmental process approach: suicidal behaviour results from the interaction between stressful life events and an individual vulnerability; this individual vulnerability is itself the product of psychobiological factors, genetics and past life events; vulnerability, in this sense, influences how the individual perceives, interprets and reacts to adverse life events, perhaps leading to hopelessness and suicidal behaviour.

Psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and other mental health practitioners will appreciate the conceptual and clinical value of this book based on its:

• Description of biological and psychological developmental processes leading to suicide, integrating evidence-based information from a broad range of disciplines
• Psychobiological definition of long- and short-tem risk factors for suicide, and innovative approach to psychological and biological targets for treatment and prevention
• Cutting-edge discussion of implications for the study and treatment of suicidal behaviour, by some of the leading authorities in the field

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471491667
• ISBN 13: 9780471491668
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336
• Editor: Van Heeringen Kees