Overview

Within late 20th-century industrial societies suicide among the young and elderly has increased. Drawing from psychology, social psychology and sociology, the author looks at the issued surrounding the topic: reasons for suicide and the process of becoming suicidal; reactions to suicidal behaviour; the responses of the medical profession; preventing repeated attempts at suicide; the individual and their relationship to family and society; and the pattern of relationships. The author suggests that behaviour is not understood when it is isolated from social systemic contexts. Suicidal behaviour is often regarded as ""impulsive"". However, perhaps such behaviour only appears impulsive when regarded by an observer without a satisfactory theoretical understanding of such acts. The book attempts to show how persons who are suicidal make sense of what they do.

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9781853024443

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Reviews

`I found this book a refreshing and very interesting read. It would be relevant to clinicians across specialties as it describes a way of formulating suicide and suicidal behaviour across the life span. It also helps to move away from a dialogue of criticism and blame that often results from an analysis of suicidal behaviour that places responsibility with an individual. By taking a systems perspective a more rich and dynamic story emerges.' -- Book Reviews `The book is easy to read and I highly recommend it to people interested in theory on suicide and those who daily work with families who need help. The book gives an extended view on the subject and is updated on the theories and thoughts within suicide-prevention and family therapy.' -- Nordic Journal of Music Therapy `This book is a welcome development in the application of systems theory to clinical problems.' -- Child Psychlogy and Psychiatry `This book takes a personal view of the tragedy of suicide while setting this against the background of quite a lot of useful factual information. Aldridge says that his motivation for writing the book was to explain to his daughter what had happened to her friend, who killed herself unexpectedly. This motivation is evident only in the shape of a direct and individualistic style of writing, which makes the book relevant and readable…The book looks briefly at the history of suicide and at the various studies on suicide that have been made in the past. It also takes the trouble of considering suicide from a number of different perspectives, including an ethnographic one, an ecological one, an anthropological one and a psychological one. This interdisciplinary approach improves overall understanding of the subject. The book includes sections on families and suicide, on systematic approaches, on distress management and on the politics of dying and self-mutilation… One of the strengths of the book is the great variety of explanations for sucidal behaviour that are given … Aldridge's ecological model of suicide prevention is a useful one and deserves to be taken seriously. His reflections on the social isolation of suicidal individuals who become singled out as deviant and as 'doing everything wrong' rings true.' -- The European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling and Health `One of the strengths of the book is the great variety of explanations for suicidal behaviour that are given. These range from seeing suicide as a form of aggression to seeing at as a benevolent though misguided attempt at keeping a family together. Suicide is seen by some as a metaphorical communication about life and death, by others as a breakdown in communication. Aldridge extracts from these various interpretations a model that can explain what goes wrong in a family when someone is suicidal. Aldridge's ecological model of suicide prevention is a useful one, and deserves to be taken seriously. His reflections on the social isolation of suicidal individuals who become singled out as deviant and as `doing everything wrong' rings true. He speaks of desertification, which occurs when the person has no more resources or contacts left to draw on.' -- The European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling and Health `David Aldridge has been studying the phenomenon of suicide for many years … His knowledge is encyclopedic, and the bulk of the book covers a wide range of approaches and perspectives on the issue, from the personal to the political.' -- Community Care This clearly written book will be of significant interest to students, practitioners and educators in health and welfare. The text is well organised, providing a useful range of tables and figures, and an impressive range of references.' -- Journal of Community Nursing `Aldridge gives us a clear and cogent exposition of suicidal behaviour viewed from a number of perspectives and he evinces genuine concern for what constitutes the most effective treatment would be of interest to social workers, counsellors and anyone wishing to understand suicidal behaviour.' -- International Journal of Children's Spirituality `His method of describing family dynamics around suicidal behaviour is particularly illuminating. After a fascinating review of historical and cultural perspectives of suicide, Aldridge examines contemporary attitudes towards it.' -- The Journal of the British Association for Counselling

'I found this book a refreshing and very interesting read. It would be relevant to clinicians across specialties as it describes a way of formulating suicide and suicidal behaviour across the life span. It also helps to move away from a dialogue of criticism and blame that often results from an analysis of suicidal behaviour that places responsibility with an individual. By taking a systems perspective a more rich and dynamic story emerges.' -- Book Reviews 'The book is easy to read and I highly recommend it to people interested in theory on suicide and those who daily work with families who need help. The book gives an extended view on the subject and is updated on the theories and thoughts within suicide-prevention and family therapy.' -- Nordic Journal of Music Therapy 'This book is a welcome development in the application of systems theory to clinical problems.' -- Child Psychlogy and Psychiatry 'This book takes a personal view of the tragedy of suicide while setting this against the background of quite a lot of useful factual information. Aldridge says that his motivation for writing the book was to explain to his daughter what had happened to her friend, who killed herself unexpectedly. This motivation is evident only in the shape of a direct and individualistic style of writing, which makes the book relevant and readable...The book looks briefly at the history of suicide and at the various studies on suicide that have been made in the past. It also takes the trouble of considering suicide from a number of different perspectives, including an ethnographic one, an ecological one, an anthropological one and a psychological one. This interdisciplinary approach improves overall understanding of the subject. The book includes sections on families and suicide, on systematic approaches, on distress management and on the politics of dying and self-mutilation... One of the strengths of the book is the great variety of explanations for sucidal behaviour that are given ... Aldridge's ecological model of suicide prevention is a useful one and deserves to be taken seriously. His reflections on the social isolation of suicidal individuals who become singled out as deviant and as 'doing everything wrong' rings true.' -- The European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling and Health 'One of the strengths of the book is the great variety of explanations for suicidal behaviour that are given. These range from seeing suicide as a form of aggression to seeing at as a benevolent though misguided attempt at keeping a family together. Suicide is seen by some as a metaphorical communication about life and death, by others as a breakdown in communication. Aldridge extracts from these various interpretations a model that can explain what goes wrong in a family when someone is suicidal. Aldridge's ecological model of suicide prevention is a useful one, and deserves to be taken seriously. His reflections on the social isolation of suicidal individuals who become singled out as deviant and as 'doing everything wrong' rings true. He speaks of desertification, which occurs when the person has no more resources or contacts left to draw on.' -- The European Journal of Psychotherapy, Counselling and Health 'David Aldridge has been studying the phenomenon of suicide for many years ... His knowledge is encyclopedic, and the bulk of the book covers a wide range of approaches and perspectives on the issue, from the personal to the political.' -- Community Care This clearly written book will be of significant interest to students, practitioners and educators in health and welfare. The text is well organised, providing a useful range of tables and figures, and an impressive range of references.' -- Journal of Community Nursing 'Aldridge gives us a clear and cogent exposition of suicidal behaviour viewed from a number of perspectives and he evinces genuine concern for what constitutes the most effective treatment would be of interest to social workers, counsellors and anyone wishing to understand suicidal behaviour.' -- International Journal of Children's Spirituality 'His method of describing family dynamics around suicidal behaviour is particularly illuminating. After a fascinating review of historical and cultural perspectives of suicide, Aldridge examines contemporary attitudes towards it.' -- The Journal of the British Association for Counselling

Author Information

David Aldridge is Professor for Clinical Research Methods in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Witten-Herdecke. He is the author of Music Therapy Research and Practice in Medicine: From Out of the Silence published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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