THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EARLY-LIFE MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS AND SUICIDAL-BEHAVIOR

The escalation of self-destructive acts among all age groups has motiv ated researchers to identify the factors that may contribute to suicid al behavior. Suicide has been attributed to numerous etiologic factors , including the presence of psychopathology (e.g., affective disorders ), neuroendocrine dysregulation and genetic tendencies. Nevertheless, investigations have not identified the precise mechanism(s) by which s elf-destructive proclivities are generated. This paper proposes a deve lopmental psychopathology model based on early life mental representat ions that would enable clinicians to chart an individual's susceptibil ity to suicide and to better anticipate when suicidal behavior could b ecome activated.