Related Experiment Videos
What destroys our restraints against suicide?
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Extreme biological states, including suicide, face inherent barriers. Paradoxically, some self-harm behaviors like wrist-cutting or substance use may act as survival defenses, preventing lethal outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Extreme biological states are difficult to achieve.
- Defenses against suicide can paradoxically lead to maladaptation.
Observation:
- Lethality indicators possess a threshold.
- Certain behaviors can act as a barrier against suicide.
Findings:
- Wrist-cutting, self-drug/alcohol use, and psychosis can serve defensive roles.
- These behaviors may function as survival mechanisms.
Implications:
- Understanding these paradoxical defenses is crucial for suicide prevention.
- Interventions should consider the potential survival function of certain maladaptive behaviors.