Suicide, grief terminology-definitions-Tony Salvatore

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Tony Salvatore

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Definitions
[ A ]

ABNORMAL GRIEF - Prolonged, difficult, complicated response associated with TRAUMATIC LOSS. See UNRESOLVED GRIEF.
ABNORMAL GRIEF REACTION - Individual behavioral and/or emotional condition caused by a severe LOSS.
ABORTED SUICIDE ATTEMPT - A suicide attempt (intent to die) that is terminated by the individual before incurring physical harm.
"A.C.E." = Ask/Care/Escort (US Army Peer Suicide Intervention Program).
ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS - Preventative activities that require targeted individuals to make behavioral choices/changes. See PASSIVE INTERVENTIONS.
ACTIVE SUICIDAL IDEATION - State of acute thought of completing suicide associated with imminent risk (Sivak et al.)
ACUTE MOURNING - Initial phase of disorientation, dulled senses, denial, yearning.
ACUTE SUICIDE THREAT - Individual has LETHAL MEANS and voices INTENT.
AFTERCARE - Post-LOSS support services to the BEREAVED or other traumatized individuals. See POSTVENTION.
AGE-CORRESPONDENCE REACTION - ACUTE grief triggered by age similarity to lost loved one.
AGENERATIVE SUICIDE - Caused by personal alienation (Shneidman).
ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY - Joint plan between CLINICIAN and CLIENT with shared goal to prevent suicide (Gutheil).
ALTRUISTIC SUICIDE - Suicide as self-sacrifice (Durkheim).
AMBIGUOUS GRIEF - Occurs when loss is psychologically felt but not physically confirmed (or when the individual is "there" but not there as with Alzheimer's Disease).
AMBIVALENCE - SUICIDAL individual's wish to both live and die.
AMBIVALENT ATTEMPT - ATTEMPTED SUICIDE involving NONLETHAL MEANS and felt to not be intended to result in death.
AMPUTATION METAPHOR - LOSS analogy commonly used by grieving parents (e.g., loss of child like loss of limb).
ANNIVERSARY REACTION - Worsening or return of grieving on dates related to the LOSS.
ANNIVERSARY TRIGGER - Idea that people tend to die near key dates in their lives.
ANOMIC SUICIDE - Type caused by a disrupted relationship (Durkheim).
ANXIOUS SUICIDALITY - Combined presence of SUICIDAL IDEATION and severe anxiety in children (ALLAN et al.).
ASSISTED SUICIDE - COMPLETION of suicide by a TERMINALLY ILL or SUFFERING individual with the aid of a physician or other CLINICIAN.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE - Intentional potentially lethal effort to complete suicide.
AUTOCIDE - Use of a motor vehicle to complete suicide.
AVAILABILITY OF MEANS - ACCESSIBILITY to LETHAL MEANS by a SUICIDAL individual.

Index
[ B ]

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH - Overall term inclusive of mental health and drug/alcohol misuse services.
BIOCHEMICAL - Substance occurring naturally in the body; see NEUROCHEMICALS.
BIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS - Physiological, NEUROCHEMICAL, and neurophysiological variables associated with SUICIDE RISK.
BIOLOGICAL THEORY - Physiological and NEUROCHEMICAL variables contribute to suicide RISK.
BIOMARKER - See MARKER.
BLOODLESS MEANS - Toxic substances, drowning, hanging, suffocation.

Index
[ C ]

CATASTROPHIZATION - Aggravating present pain by anticipating more severe future pain (Turk et al.).
CHRONIC GRIEF - Continuance of ACUTE grief reactions over time.
CHRONIC GRIEF SYNDROME - ABNORMAL GRIEF REACTION with loss of deeply dependent relationship.
CHRONIC SUICIDAL IDEATION - Ongoing, transient, intermittent SUICIDAL IDEATION (Sivak et al.)
CHRONIC SUICIDER - (1)Individual engaged in repeated acts of SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR leading to suicide (Berent); (2)Individual using suicidal behavior as coping mechanism to achieve control and relieve pain, hopelessness, and emptiness (Paris).
CHRONICALLY SUICIDAL - History of multiple episodes of SUICIDALITY or low lethality suicidal behavior.
CLUSTER SUICIDES - Chain of completed suicides by youths in contiguous geographic areas.
COMMUNICATION MODEL - View of suicide as an interpersonal problem resolution strategy.
COMPASSION FATIGUE - Vicarious trauma and emotional depletion incurred by caregivers with high involvement with suicidal individuals and other high risk persons.
COMPLETION - See SUICIDE COMPLETION.
COMPLETE SUICIDE - Succumb to the SUICIDE PROCESS by taking one's life; see PENACIDE.
COMPLETER - See SUICIDE COMPLETER.
COMPLICATED MOURNING - Difficult long-term state after TRAUMATIC LOSS.
CONFLICTED GRIEF - Occurs in losses involving ambivalent or troubled relationships.
CONSTRICTION - Narrowing of a SUICIDAL individual's outlook and options (Shneidman).
CONTAGION - Risk arising from exposure to SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR in family, peer group, or media.
CONTINGENT SUICIDE THREAT - Expression of intent related to a secondary demand by the individual (Lambert).
CONTRACTING FOR SAFETY - See NO SUICIDE CONTRACT (AKA No-Suicide Pact).
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS - Conditions or situations causing depression (e.g., marital or job problems).
COPICIDE - See SUICIDE-BY-COP (Volanti).
COPING STYLE - Individual's customary response or means of dealing with stress.
COPYCAT SUICIDE - See SUICIDE CONTAGION
CRISIS CARD - Wallet-sized card with steps to take in event of a menatl health emergency.
CRY FOR HELP - Expression of SUICIDAL INTENT in the hope of assistance or RESCUE.
CULT SUICIDE - Form of MASS SUICIDE completed by a sect as a group.
CUMULATIVE LOSS - Succession of deprivations/frustrations causing stress or pain.
CUMULATIVE RISKS - Sequence of progressive or additional levels of exposure to harm.
CUSTODIAL SUICIDE - Suicides occurring among adult/juvenile inmates/residents of correctional and detention facilities. See JAIL SUICIDE.

Index
[ D ]

DANGER SIGNS - Indicators of pending or mounting suicide risk that indicate the need for intervention by a medical/mental health provider (AAS). See WARNING SIGN.
DECATASTROPHIZE - Remove the anticipation or assumption of future grief or pain.
DELAYED GRIEF - BEREAVEMENT occurring years or decades after the LOSS.
DICHOTOMOUS THINKING - Increasingly rigid thought processes and loss of ability to see options to death by a SUICIDAL individual.
DIRECT DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR - SUICIDAL IDEATION, attempts, and completions.
DISCOUNTED GRIEF - Lack of nominal or negligible social validation of a LOSS by others. AKA MARGINALIZED GRIEF.
DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF - Grief that is denied or restricted by social pressure or other interference.
DISORDER-BASED SUICIDALITY - Vulnerability due to a psychiatric disorder's effect on personal control; related to Axis I disorder (e.g., depression) (Jacobs et al.).
DISPLACEMENT HYPOTHESIS - Proposition that MEANS RESTRICTION is ineffective because suicidal individuals will resort to MEANS SUBSTITUTION.
DISTAL RISK FACTORS - Secondary, nonprecipitating elements related to SUICIDE.
DOUBLE SUICIDE - COMPLETION by spouses, other couple or by two friends. See SUICIDE PACT.
DUAL DIAGNOSIS - Occurence of two behavioral health disorders (e.g., depression and drug abuse)(AKA "DOUBLE TROUBLE").
DUTIFUL SUICIDE - Suicide as culturally defined obligation (Fairbairn).
DUTY TO WARN - Ethical obligation to disclose the risk of SUICIDE or other harm to a third party.
DYADIC SUICIDE - COMPLETION caused by an interpersonal problem (Shneidman).
DYNAMIC RISK FACTOR - Risk factor of suicide that can be reduced/modified (e.g., gun ownership, social support). See FIXED RISK FACTOR.

Index
[ E ]

EGOISTIC SUICIDE - Type caused by lack of social ties (Durkheim).
EGOTIC SUICIDE - Caused by an intrapersonal problem (Shneidman).
ENSHRINEMENT - Idealization of a deceased child by the parent(s).
EQUIVOCAL DEATH - Indeterminate cause (suicide vs. other).
EXISTENTIAL SUICIDE - Completing suicide because "life isn't worth it."
EXPERIMENTAL ACTION - Gradual progression to a lethal act by an ambivalent SUICIDAL individual (Clark). See SUICIDE REHEARSAL.

Index
[ F ]

FACILITATED SUICIDE - COMPLETION occurs because of CLINICIAN indifference.
FACILITATING SUICIDE - Legal term for helping in a suicide COMPLETION.
FALSE NEGATIVE - Identifying a SUICIDAL person as non-suicidal.
FALSE POSITIVE - Identifying a NON-SUICIDAL person as SUICIDAL.
FAMILICIDE-SUICIDE - Homicide of one or more family members by SUICIDE COMPLETER.
FAMILY HISTORY - Occurence of suicide attempt, COMPLETION, or other serious suicidal behavior in parents, siblings, spouse, grandparents, etc.
FAMILY STUDIES - Research focusing on INCIDENCE of suicidal behavior within families.
FANTASY RATIONALE - Suicide felt to be caused by wish for rebirth, revenge, etc.
FATALISTIC SUICIDE - Associated with "passions violently checked by aggressive discipline" (Durkheim).
FILICIDE-SUICIDE - Parental murder of child followed by the parent's SUICIDE>
FIREARMS SUICIDE - Use of a handgun, rifle, shotgun, etc., as the LETHAL MEANS.
FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVE - Parent , sibling, child, or spouse (see FAMILY FISTORY).
FIXED RISK FACTOR - Risk factor for suicide that are static and cannot be reduced/modified (e.g., gender, race, suicide attempt, family history of suicide). AKA PRIMARY RISK FACTOR. See DYNAMIC RISK FACTOR.
FOCAL SUICIDES - SELF-MUTILATION and deliberate accidents (Menninger).
FORCED SUICIDE - Mode of execution offering COMPLETION as an alternative to torture, harm to family, or other unacceptable options.
FROZEN GRIEF - Stalling of grieving process because of AMBIGUOUS LOSS (Boss).

Index
[ G ]

GATEKEEPER PROGRAM - Use of school/community contact people to identify at-risk youth, elders.
GENDER DIFFERENCES - In grieving or SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR, dissimilar behavior by men and women.
GENERATIVITY - Sense of connection between generations; lost or weakened by the death of a child.
GENETIC MODEL- View of suicide as influenced by heredity or genetic transmission of risk.
GENUINE SUICIDE - COMPLETION resulting from VICTIM'S intention to end one's life (Shneidman).
GESTURER - Individual associated with one or more SUICIDE GESTURE.
GRIEF INTEGRATION - Incorporating grief as an ongoing part of the BEREAVED'S life.
GRIEF PROCESS - Individual course of grief following loss of a loved one.
GRIEF REACTION - Feelings/emotions accompanying grief (e.g., guilt, anger).
GRIEF WORK - BEREAVED individual's efforts to accept reality of LOSS.

Index
[ H ]

HESITATION WOUNDS - Shallow cuts or other minor injuries incuured by an individual considering or rehearsing a suicide attempt.
HIDDEN GRIEF - Solitary mourning; grieving pattern common to men.
HIDDEN SUICIDE - Indirect self-harming behavior (Meerlo).
HIGH RISK FACTOR - Social variable associated with high INCIDENCE of suicide or harm.

Index
[ I ]

IDEATOR - Individual experiencing SUICIDAL IDEATION.
IF ONLYS - Griever obsession with contingencies that might have averted LOSS.
INCIDENCE - Number of suicides in a given population in a given time span.
INDEX SUICIDE - Initial COMPLETION precipitating a SUICIDE CLUSTER or SUICIDE CONTAGION episode; see STIMULUS EVENT.
INDICATED INTERVENTION - Preventative measures directed at individuals showing RISK FACTORS(Gordon).
INDIRECT SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR - (Farberow) see SILENT SUICIDE.
INDIRECT SUICIDE - Death as unintended result of high RISK behavior.
INJURIOUS SUICIDE ATTEMPT - An attempt involving an injury or other need for medical treatment.
INTENT, FIRST DEGREE - COMPLETION was planned by the VICTIM.
INTENT, SECOND DEGREE - COMPLETION was impulsive and unplanned on part of the VICTIM.
INTENT, THIRD DEGREE - Voluntary self-injury with low COMPLETION intention on the part of the ATTEMPTER.
INTERNET SUICIDE - Use of the Internet to facilitate or promote suicidal behavior.
INTERPERSONAL SUICIDE - COMPLETION associated with the loss of an interpersonal relationship.
INTERPERSONAL THEORY OF SUICIDE - Suicide is the outcome of the convergence of an intense desire to die brought on by a sense of not belonging and being a burden to others and the capability for lethal self-injury (Joiner).
INTERVENTION - Interceding to prevent harm or reduce RISK.
INSTRUMENTAL SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR - Communicative act involving potentially self-harming behavior without intent to die.

Index
[ J ]

JAIL SUICIDE - Occurrence of suicide in local holding/detention facilities; leading cause of death in such sites.

[ K ]

KINDLING - Increasing susceptibility to suicide with recurrent stress.

Index
[ L ]

LEARNED HOPELESSNESS - Adoption of passive attitude as a consequence of intense, unabated stress.
LEGACY OF SUICIDE - Ongoing emotional burden borne by SUICIDE GRIEVERS.
LETHAL MEANS - Implements, substances, weapons, or actions capable of causing death.
LETHALITY - Indicates the potential of MEANS of suicide to cause death.
LIFE STRESSOR - Severely stressful life event (e.g., interpersonal or economic loss) (Moscicki).
LOSS HISTORY - Losses incurred by an individual during her/his life.
LOW BASE-RATE - Statistically infrequent rate of occurence.

Index
[ M ]

MAKING FINAL PLANS - Overt actions indicating imminent jeopardy.
MANIPULATED SUICIDE - COMPLETION induced by persuasion (Battin).
MANIPULATIVE SUICIDE - Attempt with no intent to end life (Schneidman).
MARGINALIZED GRIEF - See DISCOUNTED GRIEF.
MARKER - Physiological indicator or predictor of SUICIDE RISK.
MASCULINE GRIEF - Cognitive style of grieving common among men and some women.
MASS SUICIDE - COMPLETION of suicide by an organized or related group.
MEANS - Firearms, rope, poison, etc., used to complete suicide; see LETHAL MEANS.
MEANS RESTRICTION - Preventing access to weapons, drugs, etc.; detoxifying auto exhaust or cooking gas (CDC).
MEANS SUBSTITUTION - Proposition that suicidal individuals will turn to other MEANS when confronted by MEANS RESTRICTION.
MEDIA CONTAGION - Suicides felt caused by press/TV/radio coverage of a death.
MEDICAL MODEL - View of SUICIDE as a DISEASE or caused by a disease.
MENTAL PRACTICE - Mentally carrying out SUICIDE COMPLETION (Joiner). See SUICIDE REHEARSAL.
MISA - Acronym for Mental Illness Substance Abuse. See DUAL DIAGNOSIS.
MODELING - SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR in imitation of a celebrity death or other prior SUICIDE.
MOURNING - Outward individual demonstration of being BEREAVED.
MOURNING RITUAL - Formalized expression of BEREAVEMENT.
MURDERCIDE - The killing of a human or humans with malice aforethought by means of self-murder as by a "suicide bomber" (Shermer).
MYTHS OF SUICIDE - Popular misconceptions of the nature, causes, and incidence of suicide.

Index
[ N ]

NEUROCHEMICALS - Substances conveying messages in the brain.
NEUROTRANSMITTER - NEUROCHEMICAL that attaches to a RECEPTOR in the brain.
NEW NORMAL - The "new" sense of self achieved after a TRAUMATIC LOSS (Wrobleski).
NON-CONTINGENT SUICIDE THREAT - Expression of intent related to pain, depression, or hopelessness with no contingent demand (Lambert).
NONLETHAL METHOD - MEANS that may not be immediately fatal.
NONVIOLENT MEANS - See BLOODLESS MEANS.
NORADRENERGIC FUNCTION - Brain system associated with SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR when altered.
NORMAL GRIEF - Lasts less than 6 months; resolves without treatment.
NO SUICIDE CONTRACT - Non-legal CLIENT agreement with a PROVIDER to not complete SUICIDE.

Index
[ O ]

OBLIGATORY SUICIDE - Ethical concept of suicide as a personal duty (Cosculluela).
ONE-TO-ONE - Close direct staff observation of an at-risk individual to deter suicidal behavior. See PRECAUTIONS and SUICIDE WATCH.
OPEN-ENDED GROUP - Ongoing SUPPORT GROUP that can be entered at anytime.
ORGANIC SUICIDE - COMPLETION in response to serious physical illness and/or PAIN (Menninger).
OTHER-DRIVEN SUICIDE - COMPLETION impelled by other person(s) wishes or actions(Fairbairn).
OTHER-REGARDING SUICIDE - See OBLIGATORY SUICIDE.

Index
[ P ]

PARASUICIDE - Non-fatal act of self-harm; a SUICIDE GESTURE.
PARTIAL SUICIDE - Non-fatal self-destructive act, e.g., SELF-MUTILATION.
PASSIVE SUICIDAL IDEATION - SUICIDAL IDEATION not involving a specific SUICIDE PLAN (Sivak et al.)
PASSIVE SUICIDE ATTEMPT - Allowing oneself to be in a potentially fatal situation and not caring if death occurs.
PASSIVE INTERVENTIONS - Preventative activities that do not require targeted individuals to make behavioral choices/changes. See ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS.
PATHOLOGICAL BEREAVEMENT - CHRONIC, debilitating grief process.
PENACIDE - Killing of PAIN; COMPLETION of SUICIDE to end intense PAIN.
PERMISSION TO GRIEVE - Seeking of recognition of LOSS by others by BEREAVED.
PERSONALITY-BASED SUICIDALITY - Vulnerability related to individual's personality and outlook on life.
PERTURBATION - Increased emotional disturbance in a SUICIDAL individual (Shneidman).
PLAN SPECIFICITY - Identification of variables such as date, time, place, and means in a suicide plan; indicates high RISK.
POPULATION ATTRIBUTABLE RISK - The share of suicides in a population that can be attributed to a specific risk factor.
POPULATION-BASED INTERVENTION - Preventative measures directed at targeted at-risk groups (e.g., white adult males).
POSTVENTION - INTERVENTION after a SUICIDE to aid the BEREAVED.
POTENTIATING RISK FACTOR - Availability of LETHAL MEANS, family history, stress, illness, etc.
POTENTIATOR - Factor that amplifies another factor and combined effect is greater than each alone.
PRECAUTIONS - Measures taken in hospital or similar setting to deter suicidal behavior by a specific at-risk individual. See ONE-TO-ONE and SUICIDE WATCH.
PREDISPOSING RISK FACTOR - Condition when coupled with other RISK may lead to suicide.
PRE-INTERVENTION - See PRIMARY PREVENTION.
PREVENTABILITY - Griever's perception of the avoidability of their LOSS.
PRIMARY LOSS - The loss of a loved one to death by any cause.
PRIMARY PREVENTION - Attempt to reduce occurrence of a problem in a population.
PRIMARY RISK FACTOR - See FIXED RISK FACTOR.
PRODROMAL CLUES - Individual behavioral signs of SUICIDALITY.
PROTECTIVE FACTORS - Variables that may tend to keep an individual from completing SUICIDE (e.g., religion or spirituality).
PROVIDER - Organization or individual clinician that offers BEHAVIORAL HEALTH services.
PROXIMAL RISK FACTOR - Risk factors for suicide that are near-term and associated with imminent risk. See POTENTIATING RISK FACTOR.
PSYCHACHE - Severe PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN(Shneidman).
PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY - See PSYCHOLOGICAL EMERGENCY.
PSYCHIATRIC SUICIDE - Concept of SUICIDE as always involving hate, depression, and guilt on part of VICTIM.
PSYCHIC BLOW - Event threatening acceptable life circumstances that may lead to SUICIDE (Farber).
PSYCHIC HOMICIDE - Suicide by children of abusive or hostile parents.
PSYCHIC NUMBING - Shut-down emotionally; TRAUMATIC GRIEF REACTION (Raphael).
PSYCHIC SUICIDE - Willing oneself to die without any external physical action.
PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL MODEL - Suicide caused by neural dysfunction and poor impulse control.
PSYCHODYNAMIC MODEL - Suicide caused by lack of self-control due to personality pathology.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ABANDONMENT - CLINICIAN'S reluctance to deal with the family of a PATIENT who died by SUICIDE (Gutheil).
PSYCHOLOGICAL AUTOPSY - Methodically-structured post-death search for cause of SUICIDE.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DEATH - Individual's definition of self as dead (Kalish).
PSYCHOLOGICAL EMERGENCY - Imminent RISK of SELF-HARM or danger to others without INTERVENTION.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN - Pain caused by LOSS, DEPRESSION, and other emotional trauma.
PSYCHOLOGICAL POST-MORTEM - Post-death search for CLINICIAN treatment errors.
PSYCHOMOTOR AGITATION - Restlessness, pacing, rocking, fidgeting, etc., on the part of a distressed individual.

Index
[ Q ]

QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL - Research designs using available groups of subjects rather than subjects assigned/selected randomly.
QPR - "Question, Persuade, and Refer"; suicide prevention program (QPR Institute).

Index
[ R ]

RATIONAL SUICIDE - Presumption of reasonable choice by the TERMINALLY ILL.
REASONS FOR DYING - Set of faulty, self-biased beliefs that may be voiced by a SUICIDAL individual.
REBIRTH SUICIDE - COMPLETION as strategy to "start over" or become something else.
RECONSTRUCTION - BEREAVED'S recasting of past events or relationships linked to lost loved one.
RECOVERY GUILT - Discomfort with feelings of happiness or peace of mind after loss.
RELATIVE RISK - Ratio of AT-RISK to non-risk individuals in a group.
REPEATER - Individual with HISTORY of SUICIDE ATTEMPTS.
RESPITE SUICIDE - COMPLETION to escape disappointment or to relieve PAIN or STRESS (Tanney).
RESPONDENT SUICIDE - SUICIDE SURVIVOR suicide attributed to "joining" the initial VICTIM.
RESCUE - Successful intervention in a SUICIDE ATTEMPT.
RESCUE FANTASY - Belief that some SUICIDAL INDIVIDUALS expect to be saved.
REVENGE SUICIDE - See MESSAGE OF ANGER.
REUNION SUICIDE - COMPLETION related to death of a loved one or wish to join her/him (Wohl).
RISK ACCUMULATION - Accretion of multiple suicide risk factors by an individual (e.g., race/age/gender + alcohol misuse + divorce + gun ownership).
RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR - Activity involving immediate or subsequent possibility of self-harm.
RISK FACTOR - Attribute determined by reserach to be associated with the likelihood of suicide.
RITUALISTIC SUICIDE - See OBLIGATORY SUICIDE.

Index
[ S ]

SAFETY PLAN - A written list of warning signs, coping responses, and support sources that an individual may use to avert or manage a suicide crisis.
SEASONALITY - Refers to seasonal variations in SUICIDE RATES.
SECONDARY LOSS - Consequence of loss of loved one, e.g., a friendship.
SECONDARY PREVENTION - Attempt to lessen the severity of a problem.
SECONDARY VICTIMIZATION - Negative experience of BEREAVED with relatives, media, police, etc.
SECRET GRIEF - See HIDDEN GRIEF.
SELECTIVE INTERVENTION - Preventative measures directed at sub-group showing risk factors. AKA SELECTIVE PREVENTION.
SELF-DELIVERANCE - "Rational" suicide for a "good" reason.
SELF-HARM - Deliberate self-injurious acts without intent to die (e.g., cutting).
SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR (SIB) - Causing obvious tissue damage without LETHAL intent.
SELF-MUTILATION - Slashing, stabbing, cutting, burning, etc. on the body by an individual.
SEROTONIN - NEUROTRANSMITTER that inhibits SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR.
SILENT SUICIDE - Self-starvation and medical NONCOMPLIANCE by the aged.
SITUATIONAL CLUES - Loss, other major life event linked with suicide RISK.
SITUATIONAL RISK FACTOR - FIXED and DYNAMIC RISK FACTORS of an individual and her/his social environment (e.g., family and social relationships) (Stoelb & Chirboga).
SLOW SUICIDE - Prolonged pattern of self-abusive, harmful behavior.
SPIRITUAL ABUSE - Allegation by a clergyperson that suicide VICTIM is damned.
STIMULUS EVENT - In a SUICIDE CLUSTER the act or event felt to have motivated the subsequent deaths.
SUBINTENTIONAL - Individual indirectly/unconsciously causes her/his own death.
SUICIDAL - In ACUTE crisis with ideation, a plan, definite tendencies, or an attempt.
SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR - SUICIDE GESTURES, attempts, and COMPLETIONS.
SUICIDAL COMMUNICATION - Individual's expression of suicidal ideation, intent, or behavior.
SUICIDAL DESIRE - State characterized by no reason for living, a wish to die, not wanting to go on, and a PASSIVE SUICIDE ATTEMPT (Beck).
SUICIDAL EQUIVALENT - Dangerous, risk-taking behavior that may be life-threatening (Ayd).
SUICIDAL FANTASY - Recurring SUICIDAL IDEATION involving the same or similar situation.
SUICIDE GAMBLE - Intentional, potentially fatal behavior engaged in because of chance of rescue (Soreff).
SUICIDAL IDEATION - Thoughts about completing suicide.
SUICIDAL INDIVIDUAL - One manifesting SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR or SUICIDAL INTENT.
SUICIDAL INTENT - Level of individual degree of RISK of acting at a particular time.
SUICIDAL MIGRATIONS - Relocation of AT-RISK individuals seeking gratification (Farber).
SUICIDAL POTENTIAL - Recurrent SUICIDAL IDEATION without a specific plan (Ayd).
SUICIDE ACT - Any fatal/non-fatal intentional self-inflicted injury (O'Carroll et al.).
SUICIDAL THREAT - Verbal statement(s) indicating that suicide is being considered.
SUICIDALITY - Individual�s level of danger to her/himself (Shneidman).
SUICIDE - Verb: to complete suicide (e.g., "My son suicided").
SUICIDE ADDICTION - Increasing dependence on suicidal thoughts and acts as response to stress (Tullis/Taylor).
"SUICIDE ANONYMOUS" - Mutual self-help (12-Step) group for individuals troubled by chronic suicidality (Tullis/Taylor).
SUICIDE ASSESSMENT - Clinical evaluation of the level of suicide risk in an individual.
SUICIDE ATTEMPT SURVIVOR - Individual who acted with intent to die and lethal means to complete suicide but survived (AKA SUICIDE SURVIVOR).
SUICIDE-BY-COP - Provoking a police officer to shoot in self-defense.
SUICIDE CAREER - Individual pattern of multiple suicide attempts.
SUICIDE CLUSTER - See SUICIDE CONTAGION.
SUICIDE COMPETENCE - Indicative of high suicide risk because of strong desire to die and capability for lethal self-harm (Joiner).
SUICIDE COMPLETION - Individual death as outcome of the SUICIDE PROCESS.
SUICIDE CONTAGION - Series of consecutive suicides in the same geographic area.
SUICIDE GESTURE - An action of self-harm indicating SUICIDAL INTENT.
SUICIDE GRIEVER - Individual experiencing traumatic effects of SUICIDE LOSS.
SUICIDE INCIDENCE- Number of cases in a given time in a given area.
SUICIDE INTERVENTION - Prevention of an imminent attempt or an in process attempt.
SUICIDE LANDMARKS - Sites (e.g., bridges) that have become historically associated with SUICIDE COMPLETION.
SUICIDE PACT - Agreement to complete suicide by two or more individuals.
SUICIDE PLAN - Individual strategy inclusive of time frame and MEANS to complete suicide.
SUICIDE PREVALENCE - Cases at a given time relative to population size.
SUICIDE PREVENTION - Structured effort to reduce SUICIDE RISK FACTORS and promote PROTECTIVE FACTORS at the individual, community, or population-wide levels.
SUICIDE RATE - Occurrence of suicide in a given population or community; usually expressed in deaths/100,000 population.
SUICIDE REHEARSAL - Try out of plan without intent to die (e.g., driving by a bridge).
SUICIDE SCREENING - Identification of presence suicide risk factors in an individual.
SUICIDE SURVIVOR - See SUICIDE GRIEVER; see also SUICIDE ATTEMPT SURVIVOR.
SUICIDE SYNDROME - Long-term self-destructive life process (Gernsbacher).
SUICIDE TALK - Verbal references to SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR by an AT-RISK individual.
SUICIDE TOURIST/TOURISM - VICTIMS who travel to an area (e.g., NYC) to COMPLETE SUICIDE at a local SUICIDE LANDMARK or other site.
SUICIDE WATCH - Encompasses various levels of staff observation of an At-RISK individal to deter suicidal behavior. See PRECAUTIONS and ONE-TO-ONE.
SUICIDE ZONE - Transient individual period of RISK (Litman).
SUICIDOGENIC - Causing, giving rise to suicide or SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR.
SUICIDOLOGY - The formal scientific study of suicide; multidisciplinary.
SUIDECIDE - (sui-decide)RATIONAL SUICIDE by a TERMINALLY ILL individual (Schmerl).
SUISAD - (sui-sad) "Killing the sadness"; replacement for term suicide (Cantor).
SUPPORT GROUP - Peer resource for dealing with illness or trauma.
SURCEASE SUICIDE - Completion to end or avoid a severe STRESSOR (Prado).
SURVIVING - Living beyond the experience of a suicide or TRAUMATIC LOSS.
SURVIVOR GUILT - Self-blame for enduring after LOSS of loved one.
SYMBOLIC LOSS - Loss of something intangible (e.g., relationship).
SYNDROMATIC CLUES- Behavioral, verbal, situational indicators of suicide RISK.

Index
[ T ]

TERTIARY PREVENTION - Attempt to lessen long-term effects of a problem.
THANATOLOGY - Study of death, dying, BEREAVEMENT, and grief.
THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE - Collaborative relationship with client established by therapist (Simon).
TRAUMA - A psychological reaction to a stressful, harmful, or life-threatening occurrence that is outside the range of normal experience and beyond control.
TRAUMATIC LOSS - Death that is sudden, unexpected, preventable and/or of a child.
TRIGGER - Factor (e.g., event, memory, date, place, sound, or object) which initiates and aggravates behavior or other response (e.g. trauma).
TUNNEL VISION - View that life=pain vs. death=no pain; see CONSTRICTION.

Index
[ U ]

UNDER-REPORTING - INCIDENCE of suicides not officially recorded as such.
UNDETERMINED INTENT - Classification of a death or an injury where VICTIM'S intentions are unclear.
UNEXPECTED LOSS SYNDROME - ABNORMAL GRIEF REACTION associated with unexpected loss.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - Personal concerns or obligations to be resolved before death.
UNIFIED INTERVENTIONS - Prevention strategies involving combinations of UNIVERSAL, SELECTED, and INDICATED PREVENTION measures (Brown).
UNIVERSAL INTERVENTION - Preventative measures directed at an entire population (e.g., promoting restricted access to firearms).
UNRESOLVED GRIEF - Disrupted grieving process (e.g., DELAYED GRIEF).

Index
[ V ]

VALIDATION - Learning from experience of other SUICIDE GRIEVERS that "I'm not crazy."
VEHICULAR SUICIDE - COMPLETION by stepping into path of a vehicle or using a vehicle as MEANS.
VENTURED SUICIDE - High RISK behavior without SUICIDAL INTENT (Baechler).
VERBAL CLUES - Spoken references to SUICIDAL INTENT.
VICTIM-PRECIPITATED HOMICIDE - See SUICIDE-BY-COP (Parent).
VIOLENT MEANS - Suicide by firearms, hanging, slashing, falls.
VULNERABILITY FACTOR - Condition predisposing an individual to greater than normal risk (Ayd).

Index
[ W ]

WARM LINE - Non-crisis telephone support program for at-risk individuals often staffed by peer volunteers.
WARNING SIGN - Overt indicator of high suicidal RISK of an individual that indicates the need for immediate emergency intervention.
"WEATHER FORECAST" - Metaphor characterizing the fluctuating level of risk in a SUICIDAL INDIVIDUAL (Simon).
WERTHER EFFECT - Concept of COMPLETION or SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR as a consequence of mass media accounts of SUICIDE (Phillips).
WHAT-IFFING GUILT - SUICIDE GRIEVER obsession with "What if...?" (they did or did not do something)(Wrobleski).
WITHDRAWN BEHAVIOR - Apathetic and unresponsive emotional state.
WORKING THROUGH GRIEF - Purposeful individual effort to resolve personal grief.