juliaem's review against another edition
3.0
Joiner does a very capable job summarizing our empirical knowledge about risk factors for suicide, and manages to pivot toward treatment implications toward the end. I appreciated his synthesis of various kinds of research (much correlational, given the topic, so he also adequately addresses the limitations of such data), and found this to be easy to read. The main reason I didn't enjoy it more is that he wrote way more defensively about his interpersonal theory of suicidality (that learned capacity for lethal self-injury, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness are each necessary but not sufficient in isolation for suicidal behavior) than I think he needed to. He's an expert in the field, and I'm not aware of any major pushback about the theory. The data speaks for itself, so I didn't need to be given such a hard sell.
tymaa2's review
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among the 15-29 age population (according to WHO); this epidemic needs to be marched into the limelight. Dr. Joiner is very well-versed in suicide, and has conducted many studies on the topic. He theorizes that there are logical reasons why individuals take the decision to commit suicide, which boil down to feelings of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness (always a mouthful and a handful to write those). The book feels like it was designed for mental health providers, and/or psychology students, but can be read by anyone.
tildafin16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
stevierae5's review against another edition
5.0
I would recommend this for any mental health professional. It is full of valuable information and I will certainly be using Joiner's theory to inform my practice with clients who are at risk for suicide.
belovedsnail's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
Some interesting materials and models, but the genetic and treatment sections are dated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
greengablesdiaries's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
So, in an attempt to prepare for my new job as well as read more nonfiction this year, I started with this book to kind of go more in depth with Joiner’s theory of suicide. I covered it in a lot of my classes and we’ll as the lab I worked in in college but this is obviously a much more detailed account of his theoretical framework emphasizing the roles of acquired capability, perceived burdensomeness, and belongingness and how they intersect with each other. Overall, it was a really quick read and super informative!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
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