Understanding Suicidal Behaviour

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