The association between early life mental representations and suicidal behavior

The escalation of self-destructive acts among all age groups has motivated researchers to identify the factors that may contribute to suicidal behavior. Suicide has been attributed to numerous etiologic factors, including the presence of psychopathology (e.g., affective disorders), neuroendocrine dysregulation and genetic tendencies. Nevertheless, investigations have not identified the precise mechanism(s) by which self-destructive proclivities are generated. This paper proposes a developmental psychopathology model based on early life mental representations that would enable clinicians to chart an individual's susceptibility to suicide and to better anticipate when suicidal behavior could become activated.