Types of suicidal behavior: true suicide, demonstrative suicide and hidden suicide.

Children are our future, and we, adults, are responsible for the health of children, both physical and mental. Sadly, Russia ranks first among suicides and suicidal behavior among children and adolescents in the world. Moreover, every year the number of suicide attempts increases by 1 - 2%.

Timely detection of suicidal behavior and prevention of suicide attempts falls primarily on parents and teachers, although psychologists and psychiatrists play an equally important role in this task.

Statistical data

• About 30% of people aged 14 to 24 have had suicidal thoughts.
• Suicide attempts are made by 6% of adolescent boys and 10% of adolescent girls.
• Only in 10% of cases of suicidal behavior in adolescents they actually want to “commit suicide”, and in 90% of cases it is to attract attention to themselves.
• In children under 13 years of age, suicidal behavior is rare, and from 14 to 15 years of age, an increase in suicidal activity is observed. Its peak occurs in adolescents aged 16–19 years.
• About 34% of minors repeat their suicide attempts, and with each new attempt the likelihood of death increases.
• Up to 80% of suicide attempts occur during the day or evening - as a cry for help and to attract attention.
• About 13% of children and adolescents who died of the total number of violent deaths committed suicide of their own accord.
• Up to 62% of suicides among teenagers were committed due to family conflicts, fear of violence from elders, inappropriate behavior of teachers and conflicts with them, classmates and friends, as well as the indifference of others.

Suicide is a form of deviant behavior

Let's consider suicidal behavior as a type of deviant behavior.
The last phrase translated from Latin is “deviation from the road.” Thus, deviant behavior is the specific actions of an individual, for example, Ivanov distributes drugs, but in a global sense it is a relatively stable phenomenon: banditry, drug addiction, prostitution, and so on. In a narrow sense, the term means a deviation from the norm of an individual or group of people. Suicidal behavior is destructive; it can also include such forms of deviant behavior as alcoholism, drug addiction, categorical refusal to receive treatment, and deliberate exposure of oneself to danger. This includes drunk driving, deliberately provoking fights and participating in them, as well as in wars, etc.

Let's understand the terminology

• Suicide

  
  called the deliberate taking of one's life, which ends in death. In the sense of the psychology of suicide, there is a reaction to affect, the elimination of emotional stress and getting rid of a difficult psychological situation in which a person finds himself. Persons who try to resort to suicide experience severe mental pain and are in a stressful state, do not find a way out of an unfavorable situation other than suicide.

• Suicidal behavior is a manifestation of suicidal activity, that is, a person has thoughts and intentions, attempts at blackmail and threats, as well as attempts on his life. The behavior of future suicides, that is, suicidal behavior, is observed both in normal conditions and in psychopathy.
• A suicide is a person who has either attempted suicide or demonstrates readiness for it (suicidal tendencies).

Types of suicidal behavior

There are several types of suicidal behavior (suicidal tendencies):

Demonstrative behavior

With this type of behavior, the teenager has a strong desire to attract attention to himself and his problems, to show how difficult it is for him to cope with life’s problems and difficult situations. This is a kind of cry for help. In the case of demonstrative suicidal behavior, attempts to commit suicide are not made in order to actually achieve a lethal outcome. This is the goal of causing fear among others, an attempt to make them think about his problems and “understand” people about their unfair attitude towards the child. Examples of demonstrating suicidal behavior: shallow and harmless cuts to veins, taking non-toxic drugs, staging self-hanging.

Affective behavior

Affective suicidal behavior is based on strong emotions, under the influence of which a teenager impulsively tries to commit suicide, but does not have a clear plan for suicide. Such emotions are always negative and extremely expressed: resentment, anger. Examples of affective behavior: attempted hanging and poisoning with potent drugs and toxic substances.

True behavior or expressed desire for death

The teenager carefully and thoughtfully prepares for suicide, draws up an action plan in advance, and all attempts are structured so that they actually end in the death of the suicider. As a rule, with this type of suicidal behavior, children leave suicide notes in which they either “forgive everyone everyone” or do not blame anyone for anything, and also explain their desire to end their earthly existence. Examples of true suicidal behavior: hanging and jumping from a height.

What to do for relatives ↑

Most often, patients with depression are pushed towards suicide by their relatives due to their indifference and reluctance to recognize the symptoms of the disease.

If you see that a person close to you is constantly depressed and reacts sluggishly to the world around him, then try to snatch him out of the pool of bad mood before it completely drags him down.

If you suspect that someone in your family is contemplating suicide, your actions should be as follows:

1. Ask the patient every day about his affairs, successes, and give advice about minor failures.
2. Express your support and desire to help in a difficult situation in every possible way.
3. Don’t argue or yell at someone suffering from depression, using phrases like “Get it together, you wimp!”, “Stop whining!” and others is unacceptable.
4. Try to switch the attention of your loved one to something interesting, try to give him something to live for. You can, for example, take a stray kitten or puppy into your home.
5. Hide all piercing objects and other things that can be used to commit suicide.
6. Try not to leave the patient alone.
7. Seek help from a specialist and try to persuade a relative or friend to see him.

Reasons for suicide

Messages to commit suicide arise without external provocation and, as a rule, manifest themselves in the form of blackmailing loved ones: “Oh, that’s how you are! And that means I’ll do it!” The motives for suicide in adolescents and children are the following:

Lack of mature understanding of death

The teenager does not realize that death is forever. He thinks that if I parrot “them” everything will go back and the problems will disappear. Awareness of death and fear of it are formed only by the age of 18 and later.

There is no recognized ideology in society

In a country where there are no stable concepts about homeland, family, etc., teenagers much more often feel unnecessary and are depressed.

Early onset of sexual activity

It has 2 sides: on the one hand, teenagers feel like adults, and on the other, the early start of intimate life leads to serious disappointments. For example, this could be the loss of a lover (he/she left me), an unwanted and, of course, unexpected pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. In this way, the purpose of life is lost and it is impossible to identify ways to achieve it.

Mental conditions

Depression and various psychoses lead to suicide in children in a third of cases. Such teenagers lose their zest for life and cannot experience bright positive emotions and pleasure from what they previously received. The child feels hopeless, hopeless, guilty and self-condemning, and becomes irritable and anxious. Somatic manifestations of anxiety include trembling, rapid breathing and dry lips. The teenager either suffers from insomnia or is drowsy during the day and has unexplained pain in the head or stomach. Psychogenic disorders and mental states are caused by serious losses (loss of health, death of loved ones or a friend, change of place of residence).

Physical state

Children who have serious illnesses: tuberculosis, cancer or heart problems. Moreover, a suicide attempt occurs at the examination stage, when the diagnosis has not yet been established.

Others

• Disharmonious relationships in the family - long-term and ongoing conflicts with parents and brothers/sisters.
• Self-destructive behavior in a teenager - this item includes excessive alcohol consumption, drug addiction, and communication with antisocial company.
• School relations. Teenagers spend most of their time at school, where they may have conflicts with both teachers and classmates.
• Material and everyday difficulties. It is a rare cause of suicide in adolescents.

It is inappropriate to talk specifically about any one motive for suicide. Suicidal behavior is caused by a combination of several dangerous factors that persist for a long time.

Teenagers at risk of suicide

There are so-called “risk groups”, which include adolescents who have one or more factors that significantly increase the likelihood of suicide. A high suicidal risk is noted in the presence of the following circumstances:

• parasuicide, that is, there is a history of an unsuccessful (unfinished) suicide attempt - the probability of a second suicide attempt is 30%;
• auto-aggression - the desire to self-harm;
• suicide among relatives;
• alcoholism and drug addiction (long-term use of alcohol or drugs aggravates depression, aggravates feelings of guilt and worthlessness) - in minors, the probability of suicide is 25 - 30% and in some cases increases to 50;
• suicidal threats (both direct and hidden);
• teenagers are “loners” who do not know how to establish normal interpersonal relationships;
• depressive states, especially prolonged ones;
• hypercriticism towards oneself;
• presence of chronic or fatal diseases;
• suffered humiliation or bereavement (loss of a loved one, friend, relative);
• psychological dissatisfaction (discrepancy between real achievements and perceived successes);
• problems in the family (divorce of parents, etc.);
• a feeling of total loneliness (teenagers rejected by their environment).

What does a teenager want to show?

What goals do suicidal teenagers pursue?

• Protest or revenge. Suicidal behavior of adolescents in the form of “protest” is aimed at causing damage to the offender and taking revenge on him according to the principle: “when I die, it will be worse for you.” In this case, the idea of ​​suicide arises impulsively, and the conflict is acute.
• Summoning The purpose of a suicide attempt is to get help from others to change the situation. In this case, suicidal behavior also develops acutely, and a suicide attempt is often self-poisoning.
• Avoidance of punishment/suffering. The suicide attempt in this case pursues the goal of avoiding punishment when it is threatened, and therefore mental and physical pain.
• Self-punishment. One is forced to resort to a suicide attempt either by feelings of real guilt, or as a consequence of contrived guilt.
• Refusal. A similar type – “refusal” from life – is observed in mentally ill adolescents.

Psychology of suicidal behavior

It might be useful to someone. It’s even better to die theoretically prepared! Source: Psychology of deviant behavior. Textbook for distance education. 1. Causes and typology of suicidal behavior.

Suicide is an act of suicide committed by a person in a state of severe mental distress or under the influence of mental illness. The need to combat suicidal incidents stems, first of all, from the absolute value of human life, the tragic senselessness of human death. In age dynamics, a sharp increase in suicides is observed after 13 years. In France, in the group of 15-19 year olds, suicide is the fourth, and in the USA, the third most statistically significant cause of death (after traffic accidents, violent death and cancer). In adolescents, much more often than among adults, the so-called “Werther effect” is observed - suicide under the influence of someone else’s example (at one time, the publication of Goethe’s “Werther” caused a wave of suicides among German youth). In most countries where statistics are kept, youth suicide rates have increased markedly over the past 30 years, while adult suicide rates have largely remained the same.

The seriousness of the problem, on the one hand, and its long-term silence by official circles, on the other hand, have given rise to various “myths” and prejudices in society. Thus, non-specialists have a simplified attitude towards the facts of suicide, a desire to explain them solely by the influence of mental disorders. Meanwhile, the study of the circumstances of suicide cases shows that the overwhelming majority of people who took their own lives are practically healthy people who found themselves in acute psychotraumatic situations. This and similar prejudices regarding the causes of suicidal behavior are presented in the table.

For a practicing psychologist, the problem of preventing suicidal behavior is one of the most significant areas of professional activity.

The phenomenon of suicide (suicide or attempted suicide) is most often associated with the idea of ​​a psychological crisis of the individual, which is understood as an acute emotional state caused by some special, personally significant traumatic events. Moreover, this is a crisis of such a scale, of such intensity that the entire previous life experience of a person who has decided to commit suicide cannot tell him any other way out of a situation that he considers unbearable.

Such a psychological crisis can arise suddenly (under the influence of strong affect ). But more often, internal mental tension accumulates gradually, combining different negative emotions. They overlap one another, concern turns into anxiety, anxiety gives way to hopelessness. A person loses faith in himself, in the ability to overcome unfavorable circumstances, an internal conflict of “self-rejection”, “self-denial” arises, and a feeling of “loss of meaning in life” appears.

Psychological experiments have repeatedly shown that in some people any failure causes involuntary thoughts of death. The death drive, Freud's “Thanatos,” is nothing more than an attempt to resolve life’s difficulties by leaving life itself. This is especially typical for adolescence. Of the 200 authors of youth autobiographies and diaries studied by Norman Keel (1964), over a third more or less seriously discussed the possibility of suicide, and some attempted it. Among them are such different people as Goethe and Romain Rolland, Napoleon and Benjamin Constant, Jacob Wasserman and John Stuart Mill, Anthony Trollope and Beatrice Webb, Thomas Mann and Gandhi, I. S. Turgenev and M. Gorky.

The basis of suicidal behavior (regardless of its typological originality) is conflict. In any conflict there are:

firstly, the objective demands placed on a person by the situation; secondly, subjective awareness of the significance, comprehension of these requirements and the degree of their complexity for the individual; thirdly, the individual’s assessment of his capabilities to overcome and relieve a frustrating situation; fourthly, the actual actions of the individual in such a situation.

A conflict situation becomes suicidal when a person recognizes it as highly significant, extremely complex, and his capabilities as insufficient, while experiencing acute frustration of his leading needs and choosing suicidal actions as the only possible way out.

The content of suicidal conflicts is determined, first of all, by the sphere of their occurrence, i.e. the subject of conflict and the vulnerability of the individual to difficult situations.

The entire set of conflicts underlying suicidal behavior in people can be classified as follows:

1. Conflicts caused by the specific conditions of professional activity and social interaction of people: individual adaptation difficulties (of a value-worldview, biophysiological and microsocial nature); official and interpersonal conflicts with colleagues, administration, management.

2. Conflicts caused by the specifics of personal and family relationships: - unrequited love, betrayal of a beloved girl, wife; - divorce; - serious illness, death of loved ones; - sexual incompetence.

3. Conflicts associated with antisocial human behavior: fear of criminal liability; fear of shame in connection with an antisocial offense.

4. Conflicts caused by health status: - mental illness; — chronic somatic diseases; - physical disabilities (speech defects and appearance features perceived as a disadvantage - dysmorphophobia).

5. Conflicts caused by material and everyday difficulties.

6. Other conflicts.

A suicidal situation usually involves the interaction of conflicts of various types. However, not every conflict leads to suicide. Suicidal reactions, reduction or loss of life values ​​cannot appear without connection with personal characteristics.

It must be emphasized that it was not possible to detect any single personality structure specific to suicidal behavior and quite clearly indicating the likelihood of its occurrence.

At the same time, people with accentuated and psychopathic character traits have the greatest vulnerability and a tendency to rigid, non-adaptive behavior. In one case, we are talking about practically healthy people, distinguished by the hypertrophied sharpness of some characterological traits, and in the other, about those whose borderline disorders can be erased in their usual living conditions, compensated by adaptive standards of behavior. In difficult conditions, against the background of age-related crises, insufficient social and physical maturity of the individual, compensatory mechanisms are disrupted, which leads to maladjustment.

Characteristic personal characteristics of suicidal individuals include:

- low or low level of self-esteem, lack of self-confidence; - high need for self-realization; - symbioticity, the high importance of warm, emotional connections, sincerity of relationships, the presence of empathy, understanding and support from others; — difficulties in making decisions; - high level of anxiety, decreased level of optimism and activity in situations of difficulty; - tendency to self-accusation, exaggeration of one’s guilt; - low independence; - insufficient socialization, infantilism and immaturity of the individual.

Knowledge of the nature of the conflict situation, which created the preconditions for the emergence of a psychological crisis, as well as the personal characteristics of a person, gives the psychologist some grounds for determining the suicidal potential of an individual.

Suicidal behavior can be true, affective and demonstrative-blackmail.

True suicide is a conscious action, the purpose of which is to commit an act of suicide, the desire to take one’s own life. The seriousness and stability of intention is confirmed by the choice of place, time and method of suicidal action, active preliminary preparation, and in some cases, the presence of suicide notes. With true suicidal actions, the period preceding suicide is longer (from several days to a month or more).

Affective suicide is suicidal actions caused by an unusually strong affect that arises as a result of a sudden acute traumatic event or under the influence of the accumulation of chronic psychological trauma. Unlike true suicide, in which psychotrauma, conscious and processed by a person, causes a certain type of purposeful, albeit maladaptive behavior, with affective suicidal actions the psychotraumatic situation does not have time to undergo conscious personal processing. Such suicides are characterized by “convolution” and intensity of dynamics, rapid growth of emotional tension, extremely emotionally charged negative experiences of anger, resentment, insulted dignity, honor, etc. The perception of a conflict situation becomes selectively fragmented and fragmentary. Suicidal people do not respond to the appeals of others, no arguments are taken into account. Being overwhelmed by suicidal urges results in a lack of fear of death and pain.

Demonstrative-blackmailing suicidal behavior is the conscious manipulation by an individual of life-threatening actions while maintaining for him the high value of his own life in order to change the conflict situation in a favorable direction. The personal meaning of demonstrative blackmail attempts is to exert psychological pressure on surrounding significant persons in order to change the conflict situation in a direction favorable to oneself (to evoke pity, sympathy, to get rid of impending troubles, etc.). During demonstrative blackmail attempts, a person understands that his actions should not lead to death and for this he takes all precautions.

It should be borne in mind that the number of suicide attempts is many times greater than the number of completed suicides. In adults the ratio is believed to be 6-10 to 1, and in adolescents it is estimated to be 50:1 or even 100:1. Because most suicide attempts remain unknown, many experts believe even these numbers are an underestimate. Boys commit suicide at least twice as often as girls; Although girls make such attempts much more often, many of them are of a demonstrative nature. Unsuccessful suicide attempts are mostly not repeated; although 10 percent of boys and 3 percent of girls aged 10 to 20 who made unsuccessful suicide attempts still committed suicide within the next two years. 2. Structure and dynamics of suicidal behavior.

Structure of suicidal behavior. It is important to emphasize that suicidal behavior has both internal and external forms of its manifestation. Internal suicidal behavior is an internal form of manifestation of suicidal behavior, including passive suicidal thoughts, plans and intentions, as well as the corresponding emotional background - suicidal feelings.

Passive suicidal thoughts are characterized by ideas and fantasies about one’s death without actively developing action plans related to suicide.

Suicidal ideation is an active form of manifestation of suicidality, i.e. a tendency towards suicide, the depth of which increases in parallel with the degree of development of a plan for its implementation. A person thinks through the method of suicide, the time and place of its commission. Suicidal intentions are a direct motivation for suicidal actions and the decision to commit suicide. Suicidal intentions involve the addition of a decision and a volitional component to the plan, prompting a direct transition to external manifestation. The structure of suicidal experiences is based on the attitude towards two polar opposite values: one’s own life and death. Attitude to life is expressed in four main forms:

1) in a feeling of indifference; 2) in a feeling of regret about one’s existence; 3) in experiencing its burdensomeness and unbearability; 4) in disgust for life.

Attitudes towards death appear in the following forms:

1) fear of death, although reduced in intensity; 2) feeling of indifference; 3) a feeling of internal consent to death; 4) desire for death.

In the structure of suicidal experiences, the identified forms are found in various combinations, creating many individual options. However, to diagnose suicidal experience as such, a psychologist must simultaneously establish the presence of any pair of elements from the two listed series.

External suicidal behavior is an external form of suicidal behavior, manifested in the form of suicidal statements or practical suicidal actions of various types. Such actions associated with the use of certain means and methods reflect the psychology of the suicidal person, leading to completed suicide or attempted suicide.

Dynamics of suicidal behavior. Having examined the main components of the structure of suicidal behavior, we will trace their development over time. It is obvious that, regardless of whether we are talking about a completed suicide or an unfinished attempt, the main practical and theoretical interest is the period of a person’s life preceding the suicidal act. This period of time - pre-suicide - is characterized by a special mental state of the individual, which causes an increased likelihood of suicidal action. Pre-suicide is the period of time from the onset of the first suicidal thoughts and experiences to their implementation.

In pre-suicide, two phases are distinguished: pre-dispositional and suicidal, which, in turn, have varying degrees of severity of internal and external forms of suicidal behavior.

The predispositional phase is characterized by exceptional emotional intensity for the suicide. During this period, people tend to focus on insurmountable difficulties and thoughts about the lack of potential possibilities for solving the problems that have arisen.

Finding themselves in a critical conflict situation that frustrates their personally significant needs, people experience an urgent need for the help of other people. A characteristic feature of this period is the need to establish informal, empathic contact, the need for empathy, emotional support (“search for support”). Almost all suicidal people note that they really wanted to find support, share their experiences, and share their anxiety. Distortion of emotional and motivational-value connections with the immediate social environment, a growing feeling of anxiety caused by the expectation of unfavorable developments of events, characterize this phase as the beginning of the process of socio-psychological disadaptation.

If a person is unable or insufficiently able to establish deep intimate contact among close people, a progressive deepening of maladjustment occurs. This creates one of the most painful and frequently observed experiences among suicidal people - the experience of loneliness, rejection and isolation. Mandatory communication not only does not reduce feelings of loneliness, but exacerbates it.

Against the background of a pronounced aggravated struggle of motives, reflected in the experiences of negative modality, unstable, rather diffuse thoughts arise about the unbearability of existence in a given situation. The development of this topic expands the scope of crisis assessments, which are transferred by a person to a more general level, taking the form of ideological reflection.

Often a person deepens into thoughts about the meaning of life, the ambiguity of human existence. In some cases, these thoughts literally take over a person, relentlessly pursuing him, which, of course, should not be regarded as a manifestation of mental deviation. Doubts about the meaning of life to a much greater extent reflect truly human experiences; they are a sign of the very humanity in a person. In the period under review, a person has a feeling that his life has no future, that there is only the past in it. Life is perceived only in retrospect. He tries to find solace in memories of pleasant moments from his past life, but these memories, as a rule, only burden the perception of the present, increasing the contrast between the past and the future. There is a feeling of inner emptiness and meaninglessness of existence. Loss of meaning in life is a central link in suicidal behavior.

Thoughts about death, as a rule, have a touch of theorizing, especially characteristic of young people, without any desire to die. Reflections on the topic of death can take the form of artistic images - in notebooks and notebooks, drawings are depicted illustrating a person’s depressive state (coffins, crosses, gallows, etc.). There are known facts when, on the eve of suicide, suicide victims visited cemeteries and described them in romantic tones in letters to relatives, in conversations with comrades and work colleagues.

Nevertheless, the depth of development of existential motives can also lead to true suicidal attempts, which have a unique philosophical, religious, ideological character. At the same time, questions about the value and meaning of life are posed with such tension that they inevitably entail extreme decisions.

At the height of the predispositional phase, symptoms of depersonalization appear: a vague feeling of internal change, alienation, a depressing mood, the experience of some kind of “unnaturalness” of the environment, its incomprehensibility and hostility. Some people, after a failed attempt, recall a feeling of “internal panic,” “internal catastrophe,” and a premonition of some kind of disaster. An exaggerated desire for introspection and introspection appears, and heightened reflection occurs.

Against the background of such conditions, suicidal thoughts appear, and later - thinking about a method of suicide, “trying on” it. The suicidal period, the beginning of which is associated with the appearance of suicidal thoughts, lasts until an attempt on one’s life.

The transition to the suicidal phase of pre-suicide is usually facilitated by additional situational psychotraumatization, which further deepens maladjustment and convinces the person of the inevitability of a catastrophe. The very decision to commit suicide, even as a result of “contemplation,” testifies to experiences of extraordinary depth and strength.

Characteristic features of people's behavior in this phase are: isolation, autism, desire for solitude up to complete isolation, loss of interest in the environment. A person is, as it were, separated by a psychological barrier from other people, completely absorbed by his “I”, by his painful experiences.

Suicidal tendencies in this phase develop rapidly in some cases, and slowly in others, with periods of intensification and weakening. Often, in the suicidal phase before committing a suicide attempt, people exhibited behavioral characteristics caused by an affective narrowing of consciousness. In this case, there is a fragmented perception of the environment, a decreased response to external stimuli, emotional inhibition, inappropriate actions and statements.

At the same time, other forms of manifestation of behavioral forms of activity were noted: prudence, determination, composure (“sinister calm”) and even aggressiveness. Sometimes making a suicidal decision is accompanied by fussiness, motor agitation, and causeless gaiety. However, in all cases, the unnatural behavior is immediately noticeable.

With great consistency, people experience sleep disorders, various neurasthenic or neurosis-like vegetative manifestations: increased fatigue, lethargy, a feeling of powerlessness, etc.

The mental state on the eve of a suicide attempt (as well as completed suicide) can be heterogeneous, which is determined by a diverse combination of individual, personal and situational factors that create many options.

Thus, the depressive state (in the psychological sense), identified in the majority of suicide victims, is characterized by severe, painful emotions and experiences - anxiety, melancholy, despair. Drives and volitional activity are sharply reduced. Almost always, feelings of inferiority, incapacity and self-denial are expressed to varying degrees. A feeling of guilt and often a need for self-accusation appears.

The passage of time seems changed, its painful slowdown, causing a feeling of “infinity” of the situation: “I had a feeling,” said one of the suicide victims, “that this nightmare would never end. Never!"

In the case of prolonged pre-suicide, the development of suicidal behavior clearly goes through all the described stages. However, this sequence cannot always be detected. In acute pre-suicides, the pre-dispositional phase is collapsed and suicidal plans and intentions appear without previous steps, characterized by an increased role of affective components.

A comparative analysis of factors in the duration of pre-suicide shows that the decisive role in this is played by the depth of the conflict experienced, the personal significance of the frustrating event, its true content and, finally, the psychological make-up of the individual.

The suicidal period ends with a suicidal act, characterized by complete affective involvement and narrowing of the suicide’s consciousness. Sometimes there is emotional emptiness and indifference to what is happening.

One of the suicide victims recalls: “I watched the blood flow out of me and felt calm and serene. There was no pain. Then a drowsy state appeared, as before going to bed. And then, obviously, he lost consciousness.”

In some cases, people leave suicide notes before attempting suicide (about every fifth or sixth suicide). The notes left usually contain words of self-accusation and contain requests for forgiveness from their loved ones. Sometimes the notes accuse those who, in the opinion of the suicider, were the culprits of his act.

In case of a failed attempt in the post-suicidal period, the persistence of suicidal thoughts and intentions may be observed for some time. At the same time, both in direct and indirect form, regret is expressed about the preservation of life, about the loss of its value. Passive “consent to death” is manifested. This is the reaction mainly of those who consider it impossible to return to the conditions that led them to suicide.

The likelihood of attempting suicide again is quite high. It is believed that for those who have attempted suicide, the risk of completed suicide in the next year increases tenfold. 3. Prevention of suicidal behavior.

Determining the risk of possible suicide is an extremely difficult task. Questions about who should be considered a potential suicide, from what moment and under what conditions a person can be included in the “risk group” do not have a clear solution, since the very concept of “suicidal risk” implies several meanings.

The approach to this concept that has developed in preventive suicidology includes:

firstly, the likelihood of the occurrence of any form of suicidal behavior, i.e. general suicide risk; secondly, the likelihood of the implementation of existing suicidal tendencies, i.e. risk of suicidal actions - attempted suicide; thirdly, the likelihood of relapse of suicidal acts, i.e. risk of repeated suicides.

Using a psychological approach to determining suicidal risk allows us to establish group and individual psychological risk factors. Among the factors that determine the increased likelihood of suicidal behavior, i.e. General suicide risk includes:

a) difficult moral and psychological situation in the immediate social environment - in the team, family; b) conditions of family upbringing: the absence of a father in early childhood; “matriarchal” style of family relationships; emotional deprivation, rejection in childhood; growing up in a dysfunctional family (“alcohol climate”, the presence of mentally ill people, relatives with antisocial forms of behavior, who have served or are serving a criminal sentence); growing up in a family where there were cases of suicide, attempted suicide, or suicidal threats from loved ones; c) age characteristics of a potential suicide; d) chronological characteristics: time of year, days of the week, time of day; e) frequent change of place of residence, study, work; f) active use of alcohol and other drugs; g) involvement in retreat groups, suicide attempts, etc.

Signs of suicide risk include:

- open statements about the desire to commit suicide (to fellow students, service, work, in letters to relatives and acquaintances, beloved girls); - indirect hints at the possibility of suicidal actions (for example, appearing in a circle of colleagues or relatives with a noose around the neck made from a trouser belt, rope, telephone wire, etc.; public demonstration of a noose made from any flexible objects; playing with weapons to simulate suicide etc.) - active preliminary preparation, a targeted search for means to commit suicide (collecting pills, searching for and storing poisonous liquids, etc.); - fixation on examples of suicide (frequent conversations about suicide in general); - extremely persistent requests for transfer to another military unit, educational institution, for hospitalization, for leave for family reasons (for example, in the army, military personnel often turn to relatives and friends with a request to send a “fictitious” telegram to the military unit about their difficult family situation); — violation of interpersonal relationships, narrowing the circle of contacts in the team, desire for privacy; — a changed behavioral stereotype: unusual isolation and decreased motor activity in active and sociable people, excited behavior and increased sociability in sedentary and silent people; - sudden manifestation of previously unusual human traits of accuracy, frankness, generosity (distribution of personal belongings, photo albums, watches, radios, badges, uniforms, etc.); - loss of interest in others (up to complete detachment).

When assessing suicide risk, a psychologist in each specific case must take into account a combination of personal and situational factors. At the same time, to determine the degree of suicidal risk, it is necessary to identify and compare both pro- and anti-suicidal prerequisites. At the individual level, this is a stable positive attitude towards life and a negative attitude towards death, the breadth of the range of known and subjectively acceptable ways to resolve conflict situations, the effectiveness of psychological defense mechanisms, and a high level of socialization of the individual. Specific forms of expression of anti-suicidal personal factors can be, for example, emotional attachment to significant loved ones; parenting; a strong sense of duty; fear of causing oneself physical suffering; the idea of ​​the shamefulness and sinfulness of suicide; ideas about unused life opportunities, etc. The more anti-suicidal factors are noted in relation to a given person, the stronger his anti-suicidal barrier, the less likely suicidal actions are, and vice versa.

Of course, the effectiveness of prevention primarily depends on the completeness and timeliness of identifying potential suicides. But it is clear that the prevention of suicidal behavior cannot be limited to just this. It should be a multi-level system that combines measures of a social, psychological, medical, legal and pedagogical nature. These measures should include:

— correct and clear planning and organization of everyday life, study and activities, everyday life and leisure in educational, labor, and military groups; — organization of psychohygienic and psychoprophylactic measures to ensure the preservation of people’s mental health; — ensuring social security, respecting the constitutional rights of people; preventing unhealthy relationships between team members; — identification of groups at high suicidal risk; the ability of officials to recognize potential suicides; — adequate and timely psychological assistance to people in a state of acute personal crisis.

The main areas of activity of a psychologist working in an institution (organization) related to suicide prevention are:

— study of socio-psychological processes in educational (labor, military) groups, psychological characteristics of various informal groups, conducting experimental psychological examinations in order to identify people with an increased risk of suicide; — identifying the causes, conditions and prerequisites that contribute to suicidal incidents, timely informing and developing proposals to officials on the need to carry out certain organizational measures to eliminate them; — active participation in creating a favorable, respectful atmosphere in teams; — timely development of recommendations for working with people who have signs of adaptation difficulties; — conducting a psychological analysis of each case of suicide and participating as a specialist expert in the investigation of cases related to suicide; — carrying out rehabilitation activities with people who have attempted suicide; — conducting classes with all categories on measures to prevent suicides and attempted suicides, familiarizing them with the principles and methods of providing first psychological aid to suicidal people in resolving a crisis situation, timely recognition of persons with a high probability of suicidal behavior.

A preventive conversation between a psychologist and a potential suicide also has its own characteristics. Having invited such a person to a conversation, you must strive to establish close emotional contact with him, show true interest, and listen to the person patiently, without doubt or criticism. After restoring the sequence of events that led to the crisis, it is necessary to show (without diminishing the significance of what is happening for the person) that similar situations arise in other people, that this is a temporary phenomenon, that his life is needed by his loved ones, other people (“relieving hopelessness”, “ overcoming the exceptionality of the situation"). Then the main attention needs to be focused on jointly planning a way to overcome the current situation. At the same time, it is important to encourage a person to verbally formulate plans for upcoming actions (“planning”). At the end of the conversation, active support is expressed to give the person confidence in his strengths and capabilities.

Thus, the severity and relevance of the problem of suicidal behavior requires practical psychologists and all officials to understand the essence of this phenomenon, master the basic methods of its diagnosis and organize preventive work.

Typical signs of impending suicide

In order to promptly recognize a teenager’s desire to commit suicide, adults, especially teachers and parents, must know and be able to identify signs of suicidal behavior in minors.

Emotional disturbances

Various emotional disturbances come to the fore in suicide planning:

• loss of appetite, or, on the contrary, uncontrollable gluttony;
• sleep problems (insomnia or daytime sleepiness for several days);
• constant complaints of causeless somatic ailments (abdominal or headaches, constant fatigue, constipation, dry tongue, etc.);
• indifference to one's own appearance;
• a constant feeling of worthlessness and loneliness, melancholy or guilt;
• being in a state of boredom, gloominess, anger, grumpiness or melancholy;
• refusal of contacts, communication with friends and family, becoming a “loner person”;
• absent-mindedness, which reduces the quality of the work performed;
• thoughts about death;
• uncertainty in the future;
• uncontrollable and sudden attacks of anger;
• motivated or unmotivated fears;
• hatred for the well-being of others.

Behavioral signs

Also in the clinic of suicidal behavior there are characteristic behavioral signs:

• putting your affairs in order (making peace with old enemies, giving away valuable and dear things to the teenager, putting your personal belongings in careful order: in the room, in the closet, on the desk);
• farewell in the form of gratitude to different people for the help and assistance provided in various periods of life;
• external satisfaction in the form of a surge of energy (the decision has been made, the plan has been verified, doubt has disappeared, calm and external relaxation);
• radical change in behavior: skipping school, sloppiness in appearance, failure to complete homework, avoiding communication with classmates, changing from a euphoric state to attacks of despair;
• changes in speech: slowness or speed and expressiveness, brevity of answers or lack thereof;
• written confirmation (diary entries, letters).

Signs of Depression

Suicidal behavior is often accompanied by depression. Depressive conditions are characterized by:

• decreased ability to concentrate and think clearly;
• loss of a sense of satisfaction in situations that evoke positive emotions;
• lethargy and constant fatigue, inhibition of speech and movements;
• lack of efficiency in the educational process and everyday affairs;
• feelings of inferiority and uselessness, loss of self-esteem;
• sleep disorders;
• pessimism about the future;
• inadequate response to praise;
• a feeling of bitter sadness turning into crying;
• appetite disorders, and, as a result, weight gain or loss;
• constant thoughts about death/suicide;
• loss of sexual desire.

But what are the real reasons?

Experts believe that suicidal behavior in adolescents is formed in close connection with the problem of social adaptation. Sometimes difficulties that arise in a school group with peers acquire universal proportions, which push children to commit suicide. Let's look at several conventional personality types that have suicidal tendencies. So:

1. Egoist. He only pursues his own benefit.
2. Fatalist. Believes that everything is destined by fate.
3. Simulator. Uses suicide as a means of blackmail to intimidate people to get what they want.
4. Altruist. Supports those around him in everything, which can lead to death “for company.”
5. And an anomic type of behavior. Refusal to accept generally accepted norms and rules.

To avoid tragedy, you need to be a friend to the child. Only in this case will he entrust his problems, will not be afraid to talk about them, or be afraid of the consequences.

Diagnostics

Close circles (teachers and parents, friends and classmates) believe that diagnosing suicidal behavior is not particularly difficult (I’ll immediately notice that not everything is all right with the child/friend/classmate).

In reality, everything is much more complicated, and “missed” suicides achieve their goal only because they are unheard. Most teenagers planning suicide work with psychologists and teachers, visit doctors and social workers. services for a sufficiently long time in order to speak out and be listened to.

The main “tools” for adults in assessing suicidal risk are:

• conversation with a child;
• constant monitoring of the teenager;
• third-party information received from people close to you;
• psychological tests.

When talking with a child, the following statements prevail, which are important to pay attention to:

• they don't love me;
• I am not needed, I am a useless person;
• I don’t want to see anyone, much less communicate;
• life is meaningless;
• goodbye (this was my last visit);
• I don’t want to live;
• I'm dying;
• I can't stand it.

Prevention

Prevention of suicidal behavior is a difficult task and includes not only the actions of parents and educators/teachers, but also the peers of a child who is contemplating suicide (friends, classmates, sports teammates, etc.).

It should be remembered that a teenager attempting or planning suicide is, first of all, a cry for help, a request for attention and a desire to be heard. Suicide prevention should include the work of people from close circles on all sides (teachers and school psychologist, family, friends and classmates).

Types of conflicts

Conflicts underlying suicidal behavior can be classified:

• conflicts based on professional activity and social interaction, including interpersonal conflicts, individual adaptation difficulties;
• regulated by the specifics of personal and family relationships (unrequited love, betrayal, divorce, illness or death of loved ones, sexual failure);
• in connection with antisocial behavior: fear of criminal liability, shame;
• due to health conditions: physical, mental illnesses, chronic diseases;
• due to financial difficulties;
• other types of conflicts.

A suicidal situation is created by the interaction of conflicts of various types. The loss of life values ​​is accompanied by individual assessment, judgment, and worldview. There is no personality structure specific to suicidal behavior.

Individuals with psychopathic character traits are the most vulnerable. In difficult conditions, against the background of an age crisis, with the sharpness of certain qualities, a person comes to maladjustment.

Recommendations for parents

Parents should know that any suicidal behavior in a child begins with depression. Therefore, preventing child suicide should begin with prevention and taking measures to eliminate decadent mood:

Caring and talking

It is necessary to constantly talk with the child, to be sincerely interested not only in his condition, but also in his plans, unresolved problems and difficulties. In conversations with a teenager, parents should set him up for an “optimistic attitude” and instill confidence in achieving his goals. It is necessary to talk with the child about the future (in a positive way), help resolve difficulties that have arisen, analyze them and look for optimal ways to overcome them. Under no circumstances should parents, when communicating with a teenager, be allowed to reproach him for “constantly looking dissatisfied and grumbling,” or to compare the child with other, more successful, cheerful and positive children. You should also try to reveal to the child the positive sides and hidden resources of his personality. To increase a teenager’s self-esteem, it is allowed to compare his “yesterday” with his “today” and set him up for an even more successful version of the “teenager of tomorrow”.

New cases

The introduction of new things into the child’s everyday life plays a positive role. It is important for parents, together with their teenager, to learn something new and useful every day, to do something they haven’t done before (any hobby, walking together, or reading and discussing books will do). It is worth enrolling your child, as well as the parents themselves, in the gym or doing morning exercises together. It is recommended to reconsider options for performing household chores, carry out general cleaning of the house or even repairs. An alternative is to purchase any pet (perhaps the child dreamed of one in childhood), and caring for a new family member will mobilize the teenager and set him up for a positive perception of life.

Maintaining a daily routine

It is important to establish and monitor compliance with the child’s daily routine. You should pay attention to sufficient and complete sleep, timely and proper nutrition, long walks in the fresh air and active movements (sports games). Improving your physical condition is the first enemy of depression.

The need for consultations with specialists (psychologist, psychotherapist).

How to prevent a child from harm

It is important to unravel the child’s thoughts in time. Although, recognizing suicidal tendencies is extremely difficult. But there are still features that will help to calculate them. So, we looked at the types of suicidal behavior. The signs are as follows:

1. Closedness. Sometimes parents are calm and happy that the child sits at home, seemingly under supervision, and spends hours at the computer. But this is exactly what should be alarming.
2. Unreasonable irritability, nervousness, anger and even embitterment.
3. Excessive talkativeness. Sometimes a child talks a lot to disguise the problem.
4. A depressive state that manifests itself in tearfulness and self-doubt. From the outside it looks like the child is offended by the whole world.

Blackmail words should also alert you, for example, if you don’t buy a bicycle, I’ll hang myself. Parents do not attach importance to the phrase, being sure that it is a joke. This situation cannot be left to chance; it is necessary to explain to the child that such things are not to be joked about.

Memo for teachers

An equally important role in preventing suicide in adolescents is played by teachers (the child spends most of his time within the school walls), who must take into account the child’s behavior at school and his interpersonal relationships.

Recommendations for teachers:

• attention and listening to the teenager (the child suffers from loneliness and wants to share painful things);
• correct formulation of questions, calm and intelligible questioning about the essence of an alarming situation, an offer of help;
• lack of judgment and surprise in response to what is heard;
• recognition of the child’s “trouble” as a fact (denying the problem makes the teenager feel worthless and petty);
• destruction of the aura of tragedy about one’s death in a teenager;
• refusing consolation, but convincing the child of the temporary nature of the problem;
• instilling real hope for overcoming difficulties, strengthening his faith in himself and in his own strengths;
• showing understanding and empathy;
• monitoring the student’s behavior, analyzing his relationships with peers.

Recommendations for adults

A number of recommendations have been developed that must be followed in a conversation with a suicidal teenager by any adult in his close circle:

Identifying signs of suicidal behavior

Suicide prevention includes not only the participation of friends and their care, but also timely recognition of signs of impending danger (depression, suicidal threat, previous suicide attempt, behavior change, helplessness and hopelessness, etc.).

Perception of a suicide person as an individual

Accept that the teenager is really planning suicide, so do not allow thoughts about his inability to accomplish his plans (too weak, cowardly, stupid, etc.). Do not believe and do not allow others to convince you that the teenager’s intentions to commit suicide are frivolous. It is better to exaggerate the possible threat of suicide than to underestimate it.

Caring Relationships

In this case, it is not so much words that are important as participation, sympathy and friendly support, which will make the teenager understand that he is needed and loved.

Ability to listen carefully

What is important for a potential suicide is not so much dialogue with an attentive interlocutor, but the opportunity to speak out and be heard in his pain and problem. During a teenager’s monologue, you should try to avoid confusion, condemnation, and shock from what you hear. It is necessary to encourage the interlocutor in revealing his own soul (I appreciate your revelations, I understand that it is very difficult to talk about painful things and the decision to die, I have all my attention). Also important is the ability to “hear with the third ear,” that is, to note behavior and facial expressions, the slightest change in mood and movement, sleep and appetite disturbances.

No disputes

When having a conversation with a suicidal person, it is necessary to abandon all sorts of arguments with him, statements like: “You live much better than others, what do you lack?” or “You will disgrace and make your family unhappy.” Such statements block further frankness of the interlocutor, suppress him even more, and the teenager himself withdraws, as a result of which his conviction to commit suicide only strengthens.

The ability to ask

In a dialogue with a child, asking correctly questions is of no small importance. Don’t be afraid to ask: “Are you contemplating suicide?” - a person who has never thought about this, accordingly, will not come to such a thought. And a teenager with suicidal behavior will feel relieved that someone is interested in his thoughts and experiences and is willing to listen. In his answers, an adult can use paraphrased questions from his interlocutor, which will help him understand his own thoughts and experiences.

Participation, not consolation

The expressed experiences do not imply unjustified consolations from the adult (everyone has had this, you are not the first, you will not be the last), but interest and responsiveness. The conversation should be conducted in the direction of love and care, throwing aside the clichés that are imposed on the language. Otherwise, the teenager will feel even more useless and unnecessary, since for him there were no only true words that would distinguish him as a separate person.

Proposing constructive approaches

Instead of banal phrases: “Think about your family/friends, how they will suffer if you die,” you should ask the child to think about alternative methods, because dying is the last option. It is possible that during the conversation the teenager will rethink his decision and find a way out of the impasse. The optimal solution would be to find out what is still dear to the child and what he values. By guiding him along this path, it is possible to change the decision about his death.

Instilling hope

It is very important to make the child believe in another, less radical solution to a difficult situation such as suicide. Even the slightest glimmer of hope gives a chance to reverse the crisis and abandon thoughts of suicide.

Fighting loneliness

Under no circumstances should you leave a child alone, alone with his feelings and intentions. You can enter into an agreement with a teenager, the essence of which is a promise to contact a specific adult before taking decisive action to discuss alternative methods of behavior.

Help from specialists

Conversations with parents and friends do not help in all cases, no matter how much they want to help a child who has decided to commit suicide. In some cases, the help of a priest, or psychiatrists and psychologists may be effective. In some situations, hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital is required.

Maintaining continued care and support

Even after a critical situation has been resolved, adults should not relax. A deceptive moment can be the active activity of a suicide, asking for forgiveness from people offended by them, repaying debts, fulfilling obligations. Such actions only confirm that the teenager has not given up his intentions. Therefore, it is recommended to show care and support for the child for a long time.

Real help from loved ones

Here is another definition of suicidal behavior. This is a method that is characterized by the desire to consciously end life. The goal is death, and the motive is to solve the problem. So, on to the reasons. There are truly a lot of them. Here is their classification, distinguished:

1. External factors. They are divided into macrosocial (conditions of interaction of the individual with the outside world) and microsocial (relationships with loved ones). The first includes the situation of unemployment in the country, a decline in the standard of living of the population, moving to a metropolis, etc. The second includes the interpersonal relationships of the suicidal person with those close to him. Based on them, the causes of suicidal behavior can be classified as follows: family conflicts, unrequited love, fatal illness, death of a loved one and others.
2. Biological reasons. A decrease in serotonin activity determines a predisposition to suicide.
3. Genetic. Heredity.
4. Psychological. Suicide underlies long-term intractable depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. This is also facilitated by low stress resistance, maximalism, egocentrism, dependence on the opinions of other people, emotional lability and others.

Now we know about the types of suicidal behavior. Causes are a deep and complex concept, the roots of which go back to the socio-psychiatric analysis of the problem. These include everything that causes suicide, and the reason is an event that serves as a driving force for the action of the reason. Now let's talk about the specifics of suicidal behavior in adolescents.

Every person has in his heart the desire to live. Unfortunately, various factors cause some to forgo this benefit. Thoughts of suicide may appear in the mind and then disappear. Therefore, experts suggest using suicide prevention to help a person get out of a “distressed” state.

It includes several basic steps:

• searching for signs of suicide threat (depression, suicide attempts, farewell letter);
• establishing close relationships that are manifested in words, gestures and facial expressions;
• during a crisis, you cannot leave a person alone (as a last resort, ask someone);
• careful attention to words and feelings;
• soft approach and understanding of the situation (avoid disputes);
• using tactful but direct questions;
• help to find hope.

Often, such prevention helps a person get rid of suicidal thoughts. However, in some cases you cannot do without the help of a specialist. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor in time to save the life of a loved one.

A teenager who is suicidal

Every person at least once in his life has found himself in a seemingly unbearable and monstrous situation, when the only way out of it is voluntary death. But there is always a way out of any situation, and finding it is the first task for a person who has decided to commit suicide. The following tips will help you overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties on your own:

• Life will not leave you, there will always be a loophole or a glimmer of hope for solving a problem. The curve will always take you out (as an option - maybe).
• Accept a difficult situation as inevitable, but do not shift the solution to your problems onto the shoulders of others; only you yourself, and not someone else, can survive the crisis.
• Share your thoughts, experiences, difficulties, do not avoid communicating with people.
• Search your memory and remember a person who faced a similar or even more difficult problem, remember how he overcame it and take this person as an example.
• Not all actions and words of others are intended to offend you and cause pain. Calm down and look at the attitude of others towards you from the other side.
• Formulate correct conclusions. A negative result (in this case, defeat) is also a result and gives you invaluable life experience.
• The betrayal of one person does not mean that absolutely all people are “like this,” and a bad mark on an exam is not the end, but only the beginning for a serious struggle (in this case for knowledge).
• You shouldn’t “get hung up” on what happened and chew over the unpleasant situation over and over again. It is impossible to forget it, but throwing it “into the attic of memory” is quite possible.
• Do auto training.
• Try to look great to spite all your enemies and problems.
• Don't be ashamed to ask for help, most people will be happy to provide it.
• If possible, go on a trip, no matter what it is to the nearest village, country house, or just a hike with friends.
• Make yourself happy even in small things, buy something tasty or something you really want.
• Do some sports.

Who to turn to for help ↑

If you see that the suicidal depression of a person close to you is worsening and you cannot cope with it on your own, then you should not delay seeking qualified help. The most difficult thing is to convince the patient to go to the first appointment.

Sometimes it seems that any words spoken fall into the abyss, they simply don’t listen to you, don’t make contact, and instead hatch plans for their death. In this case, you should take responsibility and send your loved one for compulsory treatment.

If the patient nevertheless decides to commit suicide, but you managed to find him alive, then take away the mutilation object, immediately call an ambulance and provide the victim with first aid.

Even if you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with suicidal depression, this is not a death sentence. Medical care, a personal desire to get better and the attention of loved ones will return anyone to a full life.

Question answer

Is it true that all suicides are mentally ill people?

Indeed, the incidence of suicide is significantly higher among mentally ill people. But not all suicides suffer from some kind of mental illness; often this is just a cry for help from a suicide.

Is it true that you can’t talk to a potential suicide about death and the possibilities of dying?

No. If a person wants to live, no amount of talk about suicide will prompt the idea of ​​committing it. And, on the contrary, a teenager who is thinking about wanting to commit suicide is happy to discuss this issue with someone and find alternative solutions.

Is suicidal tendencies really hereditary?

This question is difficult to answer, since definitive evidence is not yet available.

If a person talks about suicide, does that mean he will never decide to do it?

No. A person who is planning to die in almost 90% of cases wants and tries to discuss this issue with others. The task of loved ones is to be able to hear the call for help and, if possible, dispel dark thoughts in a potential suicide.

Suicidal depression. Statistics ↑

American scientists have published the shocking results of their research: every year 4,000,000 people voluntarily leave this world. In fact, these numbers are much higher, since the statistics included only people whose suicide was beyond doubt.

Every second suicide suffered from depression, the symptoms of which were not noticed by their relatives in time. The Chinese take the lead in this sad ranking, while the Russians occupy an honorable fourth place: every year about 3,000 of our compatriots die due to suicidal depression.

Doctors have long been saying that the problem of suicide and the problem of depressive behavior are connected together, so it is worth paying more attention to your family to catch the signals they are sending you. The main risk groups are young people from 16 to 20 years old and men.