A concise review of current research into suicide providing a guide to understanding this disease and its increasing incidence globally.

The book discusses the contributions that each of the major disciplines have made to suicidology (is there a misplaced devotion to Durkheim's 100-year-old theories?), and provides an overview of research and theories in some typical areas. Drawing from this, specific recommendations as to what researchers and theorists can do in the future to advance our understanding of suicide and suicide prevention are offered. It is hoped that these recommendations will stimulate research and theorizing so that our understanding of suicide will progress.

In the wake of a suicide, the most troubling questions are invariably the most difficult to answer: How could we have known? What could we have done? And always, unremittingly: Why? Written by a clinical psychologist whose own life has been touched by suicide, this book offers the clearest account ever given of why some people choose to die. Drawing on extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as personal experience, Thomas Joiner brings a comprehensive understanding to seemingly incomprehensible behavior. Among the many people who have considered, attempted, or died by suicide, he finds three factors that mark those most at risk of death: the feeling of being a burden on loved ones; the sense of isolation; and, chillingly, the learned ability to hurt oneself. Joiner tests his theory against diverse facts taken from clinical anecdotes, history, literature, popular culture, anthropology, epidemiology, genetics, and neurobiology--facts about suicide rates among men and women; white and African-American men; anorexics, athletes, prostitutes, and physicians; members of cults, sports fans, and citizens of nations in crisis. The result is the most coherent and persuasive explanation ever given of why and how people overcome life's strongest instinct, self-preservation. Joiner's is a work that makes sense of the bewildering array of statistics and stories surrounding suicidal behavior; at the same time, it offers insight, guidance, and essential information to clinicians, scientists, and health practitioners, and to anyone whose life has been affected by suicide.

Working with Suicidal Individuals provides a comprehensive guide to understanding suicide, the assessment of risk, and the treatment and management of suicidal individuals. It covers the theory behind suicidal behaviour, using Transactional Analysis to explore the personality types of suicidal individuals and to understand their motivations.

At twenty-years-old, Craig Miller attempted suicide. He sat on the edge of a bed and swallowed two hundred and fifty pills, never imagining that a note he wrote to himself fourteen years earlier would save his life. That note simply read, "Don't ever forget how this feels." From the time he was six-years-old, Craig lived his life by those words. He believed that if he needed to remember the feelings behind his life's most significant events, then there must be a reason why they happened. And for three extraordinary days following his suicide attempt, as he lay in the Intensive Care Unit floating in and out of consciousness, he found those reasons. He relived days from his childhood when his only friend became his assailant. He relived years of building a troubled relationship with God. He remembered when the pain of his life's tragedies finally caught up to him and he became the victim of severe obsessive compulsive disorder, relentless anxiety, and devastating irrational fear. After each memory, he awoke to the blurred reality of his suicide attempt. The struggle to fight his childhood assailant became a battle with doctors who worked to restrain him. The pain from a fist to his nose became the sting of a tube as it was pushed down his throat. And the memory of freezing alone on a cold winter night became the reality of a dark, lonely hospital room. But after each memory ended, Craig was left with the feeling that remained from reliving it. He felt the imprint it left within him- the deep desire to love, the desperate need to change, and the fiery will to fight. Craig Miller lay in a hospital bed for three days while his body fought for life, but his soul stood undecided on the threshold of existence. He relived the most pivotal moments of his life and saw himself from an entirely new perspective. He learned that God does not punish, and that love, no matter how bad it hurts, is worth it. He learned that compassion is to see the hurt in the eyes of another, no matter how bad we hurt ourselves. He learned that living in the darkness of mental illness can be one of the most powerful paths to self-discovery. And he learned that life, no matter how hard it gets, is worth living.

A new edition with the latest approaches to assessment and treatment of suicidal behavior With more than 800,000 deaths worldwide each year, suicide is one of the leading causes of death. The second edition of this volume incorporates the latest research, showing which empirically supported approaches to assessment, management, and treatment really help those at risk. Updates include comprehensively updated epidemiological data, the role opioid use problems, personality disorders, and trauma play in suicide, new models explaining the development of suicidal ideation, and the zero suicide model. This book aims to increase clinicians' access to empirically supported interventions for suicidal behavior, with the hope that these methods will become the standard in clinical practice. The book is invaluable as a compact how-to reference for clinicians in their daily work and as an educational resource for students and for practice-oriented continuing education. Its reader-friendly structure makes liberal use of tables, boxed clinical examples, and clinical vignettes. The book, which also addresses common obstacles in treating individuals at risk for suicide, is an essential resource for anyone working with this high-risk population.

Too often we exclusively associate suicide with depression, Being A True Hero looks at the many causes of suicide, from depression, bullying, brain injuries, psychosis, lack of sleep, childhood trauma, the cluster effect, loneliness, failure and many more. This book will help the reader to know more about suicide, whether they are a concerned parent, a friend, an employer, a counsellor, sports coach or a doctor. The book is the result of over 10 years research. Michael Hempseed effortlessly merges scientific research with real world examples, he presents complex scientific information in a way so that anyone can understand it. Being a True Hero, is full of possibilities for recovery and the sheer number of options for help will astound many readers. More importantly he shows that no matter how bad the situation is there is always hope. Reviews… “An easy to read and thoroughly worthwhile book.” Dame Sue Bagshaw, Senior Lecturer of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine. "A beacon of hope to the community...Michael’s thorough research is narrated with insightful reflections from practical experience...Highly recommended to those in the Health & Teaching Professions. " Dr. Susan Maree Taylor, rural GP" Michael writes about mental illness and suicide with compassion and hope. His book is useful for people who have personal experience, the people who love them, and professionals who work in the field. It is serious, at times funny, and references up to date research." Kay O’Connor PhD, counsellor "I recently asked a friend I was concerned about if he was suicidal, it turned out he was - and needed help. Without the information in this book I never would have had the confidence to do that. The material in this book could save many lives." Thomas Saywell, Youth Worker

NOW WITH A NEW CHAPTER AND AN UPDATED RESOURCES SECTION Suicide has touched the lives of nearly half of all Americans, yet it is rarely talked about openly. In her highly acclaimed book, Susan Blauner—a survivor of multiple suicide attempts—offers guidance and hope for those contemplating ending their lives and for their loved ones. “Each word written with thoughtful intent; each story told with the deepest of honesty and humility, and in doing so Blauner puts forward a life-saving book."—Daniel J. Reidenberg, PsyD, Executive Director, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (www.save.org) “I continued to romanticize my death by suicide: who would find me; what I’d look like. I spent hundreds of hours planning my funeral, imagining the remorse of my family and friends. I wrote good-bye letters, composed wills, and disrupted the lives of everyone close to me. Then reality hit.”—Susan Rose Blauner The statistics on suicide are staggering. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 800,000 people die by suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds, and for each completed suicide there may be twenty or more attempts. In How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying to Kill Me, Susan Blauner is the perfect emissary for a message of hope and a program of action for these millions of people. A survivor of multiple suicide attempts, she explains the complex feelings and fantasies that surround suicidal thoughts. In a direct, nonjudgmental, and loving voice, she offers affirmations and suggestions for those experiencing life-ending thoughts, and for their friends and family. With an introduction by Bernie Siegel, M.D., this important, timely book has now been updated with a revised resources section, and a new chapter on the author’s experiences since the book’s initial publication.

Meeting a vital need, this book helps clinicians rapidly identify risks for suicidal behavior and manage an at-risk teen's ongoing care. It provides clear guidelines for conducting suicide risk screenings and comprehensive risk assessments and implementing immediate safety-focused interventions, as well as longer-term treatment plans. Designed for day-to-day use in private practice, schools, or other settings, the volume is grounded in a strong evidence base. It features quick-reference clinical pointers, sample dialogues with teens and parents, and reproducible assessment and documentation tools. Most of the reproducible materials can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Winner (First Place)--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Child Health Category

AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 Winner of the 2021 BPS Popular Science Book Award 'Read this incredible book. I wept and I learnt' - Prof Tanya Byron 'This book comes from the heart' - Roman Kemp 'Compassionate, personal and thought-provoking' - Prof Steve Peters When you are faced with the unthinkable, this is the book you can turn to. Suicide is baffling and devastating in equal measures, and it can affect any one of us: one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Yet despite the scale of the devastation, for family members and friends, suicide is still poorly understood. Drawing on decades of work in the field of suicide prevention and research, and having been bereaved by suicide twice, Professor O'Connor is here to help. This book will untangle the complex reasons behind suicide and dispel any unhelpful myths. For those trying to help someone vulnerable, it will provide indispensable advice on communication, stressing the importance of listening to fears and anxieties without judgment. And for those who are struggling to get through the tragedy of suicide, it will help you find strength in the darkest of places.