The study investigated 17 suicidal girls attending Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) sessions as a complementary therapy. In particular, the study focused on three main issues. First, whether the patients’ happiness, warm emotions, awareness, relaxation, control, loquacity, and coordination improved over time. Second, whether riders and novices benefited equally from the therapy. Lastly, whether and how horse responsiveness and patient’s motivation affected the outcome. Individual Growth Curves analysis was used to answer these questions. The results showed a significant improvement in awareness and coordination, and a small change in warm emotion and relaxation over time. Moreover, previous riding experience was related to higher scores in warm emotions, awareness, control, and coordination. However, this effect faded over time as the clients became more familiar with EAP. Finally, the patient’s attitude, reflected in the horse’s responses, influenced positively the overall outcome. In conclusion, beginners might need more time in order to feel comfortable with the EAP environment. Thus, it is crucial to set appropriate goals. Additionally, patient’s motivation is an important factor for the success of the therapy, as it will be reflected in the horse’s responsiveness, and will eventually lead to greater improvements. Overall, the results suggested that patients’ experiences with horse riding, horse responsiveness, and motivation are important elements of EAP that are related to improvements in suicidal girls over time.

The study investigated 17 suicidal girls attending Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) sessions as a complementary therapy. In particular, the study focused on three main issues. First, whether the patients’ happiness, warm emotions, awareness, relaxation, control, loquacity, and coordination improved over time. Second, whether riders and novices benefited equally from the therapy. Lastly, whether and how horse responsiveness and patient’s motivation affected the outcome. Individual Growth Curves analysis was used to answer these questions. The results showed a significant improvement in awareness and coordination, and a small change in warm emotion and relaxation over time. Moreover, previous riding experience was related to higher scores in warm emotions, awareness, control, and coordination. However, this effect faded over time as the clients became more familiar with EAP. Finally, the patient’s attitude, reflected in the horse’s responses, influenced positively the overall outcome. In conclusion, beginners might need more time in order to feel comfortable with the EAP environment. Thus, it is crucial to set appropriate goals. Additionally, patient’s motivation is an important factor for the success of the therapy, as it will be reflected in the horse’s responsiveness, and will eventually lead to greater improvements. Overall, the results suggested that patients’ experiences with horse riding, horse responsiveness, and motivation are important elements of EAP that are related to improvements in suicidal girls over time.

In 1946 the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that in order to promote overall health in a given population, it is necessary to identify factors that contribute to health and well-being, and not to solely focus on methods to reduce vulnerability to distress. Over 50 years later the WHO (2006) identified the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) community as a specific sub-population that requires particular investment in finding ways to reduce their observed higher rates of distress and suicidality. During this same half-century, U.S. colleges and universities transitioned from being fundamentally mono-cultural student bodies to becoming more multicultural in nature. In essence, each college’s student body is now a population of populations. One prominent population among the larger student body is the LGBTQ college student community. Furthermore, the LGB portion of this college sub-population has been identified as an under-researched subset of the larger LGBTQ population (Russell et al., 2011). This is because past research has been limited by drawing primarily upon non-college adolescent LGBTQ samples and has over generalized its findings by the inclusion of the Transgender and Questioning populations, which have been observed to report even higher rates of distress and suicidality than the LGB community (Clements-Nolle et al. 2006; Goldblum et al. 2012). This study is designed to refine our understanding of the LGB college sub-population by first examining if trends of increased acquired vulnerability for distress and suicidality found in studies of the adolescent LGBTQ population (Garofalo, Wolf, Kessel, Palfrey, & DuRant, 1998; Russell & Toomey, 2010; Haas et al., 2011; King et al., 2008) also exist in the LGB college sub-population. Second, in line with the World Health Organization’s goal of identifying protective qualities capable of enhancing and preserving one’s state of well-being and resilience, this study will be the first to examine if Sense of Coherence (SOC) serves as a moderating factor on LGB college students’ vulnerability to distress and suicidality, and thereby, contributes to overall well-being and health. Through this study, we hope to achieve a better understanding of LGB students’ vulnerability to distress and suicidality during the college years, as well as to examine the applicability of the SOC construct for health promoting interventions in the college population. / text

Objectives This thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between intimate partner abuse and suicidality, to deepen our understanding of the factors and mechanisms involved in increasing suicide risk in this group. This investigation was carried out using the framework of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) Model of Suicidal Behaviour (O’Connor, 2011), and this research aimed to act as a test of this theoretical model. Method In order to achieve the above objectives, two major studies were conducted. These were prospective studies, with Study one being exploratory and utilising a large scale survey design, and Study two carrying out an in-depth investigation. These studies utilised a general population sample consisting of both males and females, and compared those with and without experience of intimate partner abuse. Both studies are reported over two chapters, one focusing on the relationship between intimate partner abuse and suicidality, and the other reporting the testing of the IMV Model. Results This research identified a number of key aspects relating to intimate partner abuse which are involved in increasing suicide risk within this group, such as the frequency of the abuse experienced, levels of control within the abusive relationship, and severity of stalking and harassment behaviours experienced. Investigation of the key elements of the IMV Model revealed that perceptions of internal entrapment play a significant mediating role in the relationship between intimate partner abuse and suicidality. In addition, social support and future thinking were found to act as moderators of this relationship. Conclusions This research makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of intimate partner abuse and suicidality, and highlights a number of important issues with regards to the conceptualisation and measurement of IPA. It has also identifies the importance of considering aspects such as stalking, perceptions of internal entrapment, and levels of control within relationships, when investigating suicidality within this group. This research used the context of IPA and suicidality to test the IMV Model, which has significantly increased out understanding of suicidality in relation to IPA. The IMV Model was shown to be a useful framework for understanding this relationship, however limitations of the model were identified. Further research is needed to test the model further and to explore the relationship of some of the elements within the context of IPA and suicidality.

Suicide is believed to be the second leading cause of death among college students, and recent data on the prevalence of suicidal ideation on college campuses signifies the need for suicide prevention efforts. Historically prevention efforts have emphasized identifying and shepherding into specialized mental health treatment those students who are currently in a heightened state of risk. One limitation of this approach is that college mental health services find themselves stretched to capacity, with utilization rates steadily on the rise. Thus, several scholars have called for suicide prevention efforts to take a public health approach, seeking to intervene more broadly by improving the mental health of the larger population. One way of broadening these prevention efforts is to investigate factors that preserve the emotional and mental resilience of college students facing similar life stressors and distress levels. Thus, the suicidality literature has seen an increase in the investigation of these protective factors. Self-compassion emerges in the literature as a promising protective factor that may have applicability in shielding individuals from entering the continuum of suicidality.<<par>> This study aims to build upon existing research by examining within a college student population the relationship between suicidal ideation and possessing a self-compassionate attitude, a relationship that has yet to be examined in the literature. Further goals of this research include the following: determining if any of the six subscales of the self-compassion construct in particular convey more robust protection from developing suicidal ideation, examining the potential mediating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation, and investigating whether self-compassion has a differential influence on developing suicidal ideation for women as compared to men. The proposed study will use a stratified randomized case control design in which those endorsing suicidal ideation in the past month will be matched with those indicating the absence of suicidal ideation in the past month on perceived impact of recent life stress and demographic characteristics. Self-report methods will include a measure of self-compassion, depression, life events, and an item aimed at examining presence or absence of suicidal ideation during the past month. Findings from this study will contribute to an understanding of resilience factors that protect from the development of suicidality and will have implications for intervening broadly at the population level. / text

The thesis examines suicidality in selected countries. The main goal is to compare the level of suicidality in the Czech Republic, Sweden and Spain, and to note down identical and dissmiliar outlines. In the following part, there is compared dependence of suicides on economic indicators (gross national product per person and rate of unemployment). The highest results of gross rate of suicidality are in the Czech Republic, then in Sweden and eventually in Spain. Suicidality of men is much higher than suicidality of women. The specific rate of suicidality increases with growing age. The most used method is hanging and throttling to death. Most of suicides are commited in spring. High indirest dependece of specific rate of suicidality and gross national product per person was ascertained in all above mentioned countries. As to rate of unemployment the lower relation was ascertained only in Sweden.

No description available.

Insomnia is a risk factor for suicidal behavior including attempts and suicide. We investigated whether insomnia symptom severity predicted suicidality and suicide in an at-risk sample. The sample included deceased psychiatric patients seen at Weber Human Services since 2008 (N=180) who completed the Outpatient Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ) prior to death. Insomnia symptom severity was assessed using item 41 from the OQ. Manner of death was determined by death records and autopsy reports. History of suicidal ideation and prior suicide attempts were determined through review of electronic medical records. Cases were grouped into 4 categories: no history of suicidality (n = 30), history of suicidal ideation (n = 36), suicide attempt history (n = 95), and death by suicide (n = 19). Insomnia symptom severity was compared across groups using linear regression. Logistic regression was used to determine whether OQ reported insomnia symptom severity predicted suicide, adjusting for psychiatric disorders. Compared to the non-suicidal group, the suicide attempt and the suicide groups reported significantly higher insomnia symptom severity, OR=3.52, p=0.001 and OR=6.53, p<0.001, respectively. Greater insomnia symptom severity reported on the OQ was a significant predictor of suicide attempt and suicide, OR=2.67, p=0.011 and OR=5.53, p=0.002, respectively, even after adjusting psychiatric diagnoses. Results suggest that insomnia symptoms are more strongly associated with suicidal behavior than suicidal ideation. The presence of insomnia symptoms in psychiatric patients may indicate risk for suicidal behavior and is a target for suicide prevention.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate destruction of one's own body tissue (e.g., cutting, skin picking, biting, hitting) without conscious suicidal intent. Cognitive and affective difficulties may contribute to the development and maintenance of NSSI, such that emotion regulation may mediate the link between cognitive control difficulties and NSSI in youth. This study examined developmental links between cognitive control and emotion regulation on several facets of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in a large sample of youth, collected via the ABCD Study (N=6447). Although a mediation of emotion regulation on cognitive control and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors was not supported, important direct effects were found between neural correlates of inhibition (at ages 9-10 years) on NSSI at 11-12 years, and behavioral measures of cognitive flexibility (at 10-11 years) and inhibition (at 9-10 years) on suicidality at 11-12 years. Further, links between poorer cognitive control and poorer emotion regulation were found. An exploratory aim of this study was examining the potential moderating role of autistic traits on significant associations. Although greater autistic traits significantly predicted presence of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, this study did not find a moderation of autistic traits. These results provide developmental risk markers for NSSI and suicidality in youth. / Doctor of Philosophy / Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the direct and intentional harm to one's own body (e.g., cutting, skin picking, biting, hitting) without suicidal intent. One's ability to regulate their cognitions and emotions may explain risk and continuation of NSSI and other suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In specific, one's ability to regulate their emotions may explain the relationship between cognitive control and NSSI in youth. This study examined the relationship between cognitive control and emotion regulation on NSSI and suicidality in a large sample of youth, , collected from the ABCD Study (N=6447). Although emotion regulation did not explain the relationship between cognitive control and NSSI or suicidality, results showed that brain activation when trying to inhibit a response at ages 9-10 related to presence of NSSI at ages 11-12. Additionally, behavior related to one's ability to flexibly shift (at ages 10-11) and inhibit responses (at ages 9-10) related to suicidality at ages 11-12. Links between poorer cognitive control and poorer emotion regulation were also found. Recent work has also found that autistic youth have high rates of NSSI and suicidality, thus, the level of autistic traits on these relationships were evaluated. Although greater autistic traits significantly predicted presence of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, this study did not find that level of autistic traits impacted links between cognitive control, emotion regulation, and NSSI or suicidality. These results provide developmental risk markers for NSSI and suicidality in youth.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people, yet it remains difficult to predict. Suicidality in preadolescent children is especially understudied and epidemiological studies suggest that it has been underestimated. This project examined potential health, cognitive, and genetic predictors of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors in preadolescent youth using data from the ongoing Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Study 1 examined associations between chronic health conditions reported at baseline, when youth were 10 years old on average, and incident suicidality across a two-year follow-up period reported by either parents or youth in ABCD (n=11876, 53% male, 52% white; 10% incident suicidality rate). It was hypothesized that history of chronic health conditions would be associated with higher rates of incident suicidality. After adjusting for covariates including psychopathology, trauma exposure, and family conflict and correcting for multiple comparisons, chronic illness was not significantly associated with incident or lifetime suicidality. Study 2 examined associations in the same sample between cognitive performance, measured at baseline using the NIMH Toolbox Cognition Battery, and incident suicidality across follow-up. It was hypothesized that lower cognitive performance at baseline would be associated with higher rates of incident suicidality. Fully adjusted models did not indicate significant associations between cognitive performance and suicidality. Study 3 examined genetic influences on variance in lifetime suicidality through analysis of ABCD’s embedded twin cohort (n=1542; 51% male; 66% white; 21% lifetime suicidality rate). It was hypothesized that additive genetic factors would contribute significantly to suicidality. Results suggested a significant familial influence on youth suicidality; however, analyses were likely underpowered to disentangle the relative contributions of additive genetic and shared environmental factors to variance in youth suicidality. Studies 1 and 2 suggest that chronic health and cognition, which have been associated with youth suicidality in previous research, may not predict suicidality over and above the effect of risk factors such as psychopathology and family conflict. Study 3 suggests significant familial influences on suicidality. Future studies should continue to disentangle mechanisms of risk and explore unmeasured confounds to improve prediction of preadolescent suicidality.