Impulsive Suicide Attempts: What Can We Learn from Studying Timelines of the Suicide Attempt Process

In this course, Dr. Jurgita Rimkevi<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">č</span>ien<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">ė</span>, Ph.D., Suicide Research Center (Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Lithuania) and Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (Griffith University, Australia), helps viewers to understand the suicide attempt process when the attempt is described as “impulsive”.<br/><br/>Suicide attempts among young adults have frequently been called “impulsive”, but research into the topic is obscured by measurement issues and therefore does not directly translate into clinically relevant recommendations. In order to outline the clinically relevant current knowledge on attempt impulsivity, Dr Rimkevi<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">č</span>ien<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">ė</span> (1) outlines the main findings of a systematic review on suicide attempt impulsivity and (2) shares her own research: a two-stage mixed-method study on attempt impulsivity in young adults. <br/><br/>Dr Rimkevi<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">č</span>ien<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">ė</span>’s study involved two Australian hospitals and 49 young adults (18-35 years old) treated there following a suicide attempt. Using a visual timeline created collaboratively with the patient, the interviewer recreated the suicide attempt process. A beneficial interview method, the timeline was well received by the participants and may have further clinical applications, which are discussed. The course examines the main findings of the study, including principal component analysis of attempt impulsivity criteria used in previous studies and a thematic analysis of the suicide attempt process described as “impulsive” and “non-impulsive” according to these criteria. The session concludes with a short Q&A segment with Dr. Rimkevi<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">č</span>ien<span style="font-size: 1.1rem">ė</span>.