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Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention
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Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 7819

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Irene Caro-Cañizares

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Open University of Madrid (Universidad a Distancia de Madrid, UDIMA), 28400 Collado Villalba, Spain
Interests: emotional dysregulation; self-injury behaviors; suicidology; psychopathology
Dr. María Cantero-García

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Open University of Madrid (Universidad a Distancia de Madrid, UDIMA), 28400 Collado Villalba, Spain
Interests: resilience; suicidology; grief interventions; risk factors; protective factors
Dr. Eva Izquierdo-Sotorrío

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Open University of Madrid (Universidad a Distancia de Madrid, UDIMA), 28400 Collado Villalba, Spain
Interests: psychological assessment; gender and psychology; suicidology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We all know that suicide is a global problem, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that approximately 700,000 people around the world die by suicide each year. This alarming statistic is compounded by other manifestations of suicidal behavior, such as suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, which are far more common in the population and cause profound suffering. Therefore, suicidal behaviors (SBs) are serious psychosocial and public health issues worldwide, with an undeniable impact on the individual, their family, and society. However, political, social, and healthcare responses are often hindered by stigma and a reluctance to address the problem. Although progress has been made in identifying risk factors, understanding the multidimensional and existential nature of suicidal behavior remains challenging. Aspects such as the differential weight of risk factors in their contribution to suicidal behaviors, the role of protective factors, the importance of interpersonal, psychosocial, and contextual issues in suicide risk, or the role that all these variables play in the onset of suicidal ideation and its transition to suicidal behavior or suicide still require further study. Delving into these aspects in detail will contribute to the development of more effective universal, selective, or indicated prevention strategies and enable the development of personalized intervention and postvention programs, ultimately contributing to a more effective approach to suicidal behavior.

This Special Issue’s objective is to enhance our understanding of suicidal behaviors (SBs) and their risk and protective factors as well as highlight new proposals for intervention, postvention, and prevention in this field. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and meta-analyses that contribute to expanding knowledge about risk and protective factors and present novel interventions as well as evidence supporting existing postvention and prevention strategies for suicidal behaviors.

Dr. Irene Caro-Cañizares
Dr. María Cantero-García
Dr. Eva Izquierdo-Sotorrío
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • suicide
  • suicide behaviors
  • suicide prevention
  • risk factors
  • protective factors
  • tailored interventions
  • postvention

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1462 KiB  
Article
Regulation Strategies, Contextual Problems, Addictive and Suicidal Behaviors: A Network Perspective with Adolescents
by Dalila Eslava, Begoña Delgado, Miguel Á. Carrasco and Francisco Pablo Holgado-Tello
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121236 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 984
Abstract
Adolescence is a period marked by challenges, including problems that appear in the adolescent’s context. To manage these, adolescents use a series of emotional regulation skills that can be more or less adaptive. Less adaptive regulation is related to problem behaviors such as [...] Read more.
Adolescence is a period marked by challenges, including problems that appear in the adolescent’s context. To manage these, adolescents use a series of emotional regulation skills that can be more or less adaptive. Less adaptive regulation is related to problem behaviors such as alcohol abuse, substance addiction, problematic internet use, and/or suicidal behavior. This study employs psychometric networks to analyze the association between these problem behaviors, the existence of contextual problems, and the use of cognitive emotional regulation strategies. We performed this analysis for the total sample: the male sample and the female sample. The total sample consists of 758 participants; 424 females (55.4%) and 341 males (44.6%) between the ages of 12 and 21 years (M age = 15.85; SD = 2311). The results show that less adaptive regulation strategies are the most central node, exhibiting a positive relationship with problem behaviors and contextual problems. In contrast, adaptive regulation strategies are a less influential node. Finally, problem behaviors are related to each other. Differences emerged between the male sample and the female sample. These findings contribute to improving our understanding of the phenomenon as well as to the construction of preventive interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention)
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Review

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15 pages, 303 KiB  
Review
The Prevention of Suicide in Older Military Veterans
by Joshua Levine and Leo Sher
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030379 - 17 Mar 2025
Viewed by 417
Abstract
Suicidal behavior among older military veterans is an important medical and social problem. The goal of this literature review is to discuss this underappreciated issue and identify suicide preventive interventions that can be utilized with the older military veteran population. Older veterans experience [...] Read more.
Suicidal behavior among older military veterans is an important medical and social problem. The goal of this literature review is to discuss this underappreciated issue and identify suicide preventive interventions that can be utilized with the older military veteran population. Older veterans experience psychiatric, medical, and social problems associated with their age and/or military experience that can contribute to suicide risk. These problems include relationship losses through death or estrangement, depression, cognitive decline, loneliness, isolation, frailty, mobility issues, and chronic pain. Therefore, older veterans face a unique set of challenges. Suicide prevention in older veterans should take a multipronged approach which includes screening for suicidality, management of psychiatric and medical disorders, social assistance, safety planning, lethal means restriction, and involving family members in the veteran’s healthcare. Family members should be included in the safety planning process when possible. Gatekeeper training programs can be utilized to train individuals who are working with older veterans to reduce suicides amongst this age group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention)
10 pages, 249 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Relationships Within Combat Units on Post-Deployment Suicide Risk
by Leo Sher
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111040 - 5 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1088
Abstract
Multiple deployment factors may affect suicidality in combat veterans. The relationships between combat deployments and suicidality are complex and not completely understood. Studies of stress in the military and psychological effects of military actions are mostly focused on stressors relating to combat operations. [...] Read more.
Multiple deployment factors may affect suicidality in combat veterans. The relationships between combat deployments and suicidality are complex and not completely understood. Studies of stress in the military and psychological effects of military actions are mostly focused on stressors relating to combat operations. However, many studies suggest that interactions within combat units affect post-deployment psychiatric conditions, suicidal ideation, and behavior. The goal of this article is to review and discuss how relationships within combat units may influence post-deployment suicide risk. Studies of the relationships within combat units are generally focused on two aspects: unit cohesion and harassment/abuse. Considerable evidence suggests that service members who report strong unit cohesion have a lower risk of post-deployment psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior. Studies examining deployment sexual and non-sexual harassment and abuse have found that combat veterans who experience harassment and abuse during deployment are at heightened post-deployment suicide risk. Sound post-deployment social support and the efficient treatment of psychiatric disorders may mitigate the suicide risk associated with adverse relationships within combat units. Improvements in units’ cohesion and the prevention of harassment/abuse during a military deployment are necessary to reduce post-deployment psychiatric pathology, including suicidal behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention)
13 pages, 971 KiB  
Review
Grief Intervention in Suicide Loss Survivors through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: A Systematic Review
by José Carlos Romero-Moreno, María Cantero-García, Ana Huertes-del Arco, Eva Izquierdo-Sotorrío, María Rueda-Extremera and Jesús González-Moreno
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090791 - 9 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3424
Abstract
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, affecting numerous individuals close to the person who died by suicide, including family members, friends, and colleagues. Those affected by the suicide of someone are referred to as “suicide survivors”, and the psychological [...] Read more.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, affecting numerous individuals close to the person who died by suicide, including family members, friends, and colleagues. Those affected by the suicide of someone are referred to as “suicide survivors”, and the psychological consequences they face are particularly severe. One of these consequences is grief, which is more complicated in survivors of suicide compared with those grieving deaths from other causes, mainly because of the stigma that continues to surround them. Therefore, psychotherapeutic intervention for suicide loss survivors is crucial. This study examines the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral programs for addressing grief and other related variables in suicide loss survivors. The search was conducted in databases including Psycinfo, Academic Search Premier, Medline, APA PsycArticles, E-Journals, Scopus, and PubMed. Five randomized controlled trials were selected, one of which focused exclusively on minors. The results reveal that cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective, although the methodological quality of these studies is not adequate, and the representativeness of the samples is very low. More RCTs are needed on the application of cognitive-behavioral programs to treat grief in suicide loss survivors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention)
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Other

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13 pages, 1016 KiB  
Systematic Review
Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents and Young Adults: The Role of Defeat, Entrapment, and Depressive Symptoms—From a Systematic Review to a Tentative Theoretical Model
by Ana Huertes-del Arco, Eva Izquierdo-Sotorrío, Miguel A. Carrasco, Irene Caro-Cañizares and Francisco Pablo Holgado-Tello
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121145 - 28 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1136
Abstract
Suicide stands as one of the leading causes of non-accidental death among adolescents and young adults. The Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model (IMV) of suicidal behavior identifies feelings of defeat and entrapment as pivotal factors in the complex dynamics underlying suicidal behaviors. Additionally, depressive symptomatology [...] Read more.
Suicide stands as one of the leading causes of non-accidental death among adolescents and young adults. The Integrated Motivational–Volitional Model (IMV) of suicidal behavior identifies feelings of defeat and entrapment as pivotal factors in the complex dynamics underlying suicidal behaviors. Additionally, depressive symptomatology plays a crucial role in the development of these behaviors. The aim of this work was to provide a systematic review of the scientific literature on the association of three risk factors—entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology—with suicidal ideation in the adolescent and young adult population and to test a tentative theoretical model. The databases used were PubMed, Web of Science, and ProQuest. Primary studies were selected that examined the role of entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology in suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults (ages 10–35). Additionally, a model based on structural equation modeling was analyzed to assess the relationships between entrapment, defeat, and depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation. Eleven studies met the established inclusion criteria. The results showed defeat and entrapment to be associated with depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation, regardless of the country studied. Additionally, the model indicates that entrapment and defeat lead to depressive symptomatology, which in turn contributes to the occurrence of suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that defeat and entrapment could be universal factors in explaining suicidal behavior in adolescents and young adults. Consequently, the results of this work may contribute to the development of strategies for preventing suicidal ideation in this population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Suicidal Behaviors: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention)
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