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Describing and Measuring the Pathway to Suicide Attempts: A Preliminary Study
Alexander J Millner1, Michael D Lee2, Matthew K Nock1
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior
|August 2, 2016
Summary
Most suicide attempts involve a rapid escalation from planning to action. For many, crucial steps toward suicide occur within hours or days before the attempt, highlighting the need for timely interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Suicide is a complex outcome requiring suicidal ideation, planning, and action.
- Previous research has focused on predictors and prevalence, not the temporal unfolding of suicide pathways.
- Understanding the timeline of suicide steps is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the temporal sequence of steps leading to suicide attempts.
- To investigate the timing of suicidal ideation, planning, and execution in recent attempters.
Main Methods:
- A novel instrument was administered to 30 individuals who had recently attempted suicide.
- The study assessed the timing of 10 distinct steps along the pathway to suicide.
Main Results:
- Suicidal ideation onset typically occurred 1-5 years before an attempt.
- However, a significant majority of planning steps (6 out of 10) occurred within 6 hours of the attempt.
- 86.5% of proximal planning steps occurred within 1 week, and 66.6% within 12 hours of the attempt.
Conclusions:
- The pathway to suicide can involve a rapid escalation in planning and action.
- Interventions targeting individuals in the immediate period before a suicide attempt are critical.
- This research underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing acute suicidal behaviors.
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