Melbourne School of Population and Global Health - Research Publications
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ItemThe Heroic and the Criminal, the Beautiful and the Ugly: Suicide Reflected in the Mirror of the Arts(Routledge, 2017-01-01)Some of the nineteenth-century suicide art themes continued into the next century but, “(. . .) in the 20th Century, representation of suicide became truly problematic. In the godless remains of Europe after World War I, suicide’s meanings were primarily linked with depression; subsequently suicidal representation took on certain ambivalence, as if life itself were deemed pointless. It was in Germany, and above all in the anxious images of Expressionism, that the extreme motif of suicide was most prevalent in the first part of the twentieth century” (Brown, 2001, p. 201). In Cutter’s classification, images of suicide created in the twentieth century (at least until the 1960s which was the last decade discussed in his book) can be grouped into three major, partly overlapping themes: depressive (1887-1927), ambivalent (1930-61), and suicide as a “cry for help” (1938-67). e depressive theme presented suicide in a morally neutral manner and considered apathy as the main motivation behind the act. e viewers’ reaction was a feeling of regret, sadness, and pity. e other two themes, ambivalence and suicide as a “cry for help” present suicide in a morally neutral manner and see the motivation behind the death either as explicable (ambivalent theme) or obscure (“cry for help”). e ambivalent theme stressed the shock value of the art, evoking mixed reactions in viewers and drawing their attention to the painful sense of unhappiness experienced by suicides and their ambivalent wish to live mixed with the desire to die.
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ItemEthical aspects of suicide research(Hogrefe, 2021-03-01)Research is essential for advancing our understanding of suicidal behavior and its prevention, and to offer effective help to those at-risk. However, suicide research entails a range of ethical challenges, which have started to receive some attention. This chapter discusses challenges regarding conducting studies with suicidal people and those bereaved by suicide, and specific ethical concerns regarding suicide research in the context of online and social media environments. It reports on the experiences of researchers and research ethics committees regarding obtaining ethics approval for suicide studies, and provides practical recommendations regarding preparing and conducting suicide-related studies.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableFamily psychoeducation after a suicide attempt(Oxford University Press, 2021-01)Family can play an important role in supporting a person at-risk of suicide, as well as through treatment and recovery after a suicide attempt. This text provides an overview of the impact a suicide attempt can have on the family and the needs of family carers. Examples of psychosocial interventions for people, mostly adolescents, who have made a suicide attempt and their families are presented along with psychoeducational materials developed for family carers, whose emotional proximity may hinder and/or facilitate engagement with the suicidal person. Although several interventions are promising, further research into the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions and family involvement after a suicide attempt is warranted.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableSuicide loss: Characteristics and support for people bereaved by suicide(Oxford University Press, 2021-01)Experiencing the suicide of a significant other, such as a family member or a friend, constitutes a major disruptive life event, which may exacerbate the risk of social, physical, and mental health problems, and suicidal behaviour in the bereaved individuals. This chapter describes how many people are bereaved by suicide, the possible grief reactions, and novel insights related to continuing bonds and personal growth that people bereaved by suicide may experience. The chapter also presents what types of support, either face-to-face or online, are available to people bereaved by suicide. While further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of support for people bereaved by suicide, the chapter concludes that all support should be offered in an involved, empathic, and educational climate.