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The internal suicide debate hypothesis: exploring the life versus death struggle
Keith M Harris1, John P McLean, Jeanie Sheffield
1Department of Psychology, James Cook University Australia, Singapore Campus, Singapore. keith.harris@jcu.edu.sg
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|May 15, 2010
Summary
Nearly all individuals at risk for suicide engage in an internal debate about living or dying. The frequency of this suicidal debate significantly predicts suicidality and is linked to online information-seeking behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health Research
- Suicidology
Background:
- Theoretical frameworks suggest suicidal individuals experience an internal conflict between the desire to live and the desire to die.
- Empirical investigation into the tenability of this 'suicidal debate' hypothesis has been limited.
- Understanding the nuances of suicidal ideation requires exploring its underlying cognitive processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate a direct assessment method for the suicidal debate.
- To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of the suicidal debate in a population at risk.
- To examine the relationship between the suicidal debate and various indicators of suicide risk.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was administered to 1,016 participants.
- Direct assessment of the suicidal debate was employed.
- Suicidality scores, reasons for living/dying, and online behaviors were measured.
Main Results:
- The suicidal debate was reported by nearly all respondents with suicide risk.
- Debate frequency explained 54% of the variance in suicidality scores.
- Reasons for living and dying differed significantly based on suicidality levels, with many seeking information online.
Conclusions:
- The suicidal debate is a prevalent phenomenon among individuals at risk for suicide.
- The intensity of the suicidal debate is a strong predictor of suicidality.
- The debate has a behavioral component, including online information-seeking, highlighting a potential intervention target.
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