title: The Role of Self-Organization in the Suicidal Process.
abstract: This article describes the application of a dual-regulation model to a case example of a female suicide attempter. The model complements the traditional goal-and-feedback view with self-organizing processes, which may help to better understand the suicidal process. From this view, impulsive suicidal behavior can be interpreted as a dysfunctional pattern by which high-internal tension is reduced through self-organized processes. High tension might result from intrapersonal factors and adverse life conditions, by which self-regulation is depleted. Also concepts from social psychology (i.e., ego depletion, self-regulation failure) are consistent with this view and are discussed in context of a suicidal crisis. Identifying dysfunctional self-organization processes and acquiring strategies to strengthen self-regulation might, therefore, be important for suicide prevention.
authors.affiliation: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland juliane.bruedern@psy.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brüdern
authors.affiliation: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caspar
authors.affiliation: University Psychiatric Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anja Gysin
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Maillart
authors.affiliation: University Psychiatric Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068356:Self-Control / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: case study; dual-regulation model; suicide