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Psychological resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses : A systematic literature review
Author(s) -
Harris Kamelia,
Haddock Gillian,
Peters Sarah,
Gooding Patricia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
psychology and psychotherapy: theory, research and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 1476-0835
DOI - 10.1111/papt.12255
Subject(s) - psychology , medical diagnosis , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , clinical psychology , psychological resilience , suicidal ideation , systematic review , suicide prevention , psychiatry , poison control , medline , medicine , psychotherapist , medical emergency , pathology , political science , law
Purpose Suicide deaths are a major concern in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. However, many people with such diagnoses do not attempt suicide, nor die by suicide, suggesting that some individuals are resilient to the impact of suicide triggers. This systematic literature review aimed to (1) appraise the evidence for psychological factors which confer resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours, and (2) categorize these psychological factors into broader psychological constructs which characterize resilience. Methods The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines for the reporting of systematic reviews. A literature search of four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Psyc INFO , and MEDLINE ) was conducted. A quality evaluation of the included studies was carried out by two independent researchers using a quality assessment tool. Results Psychological factors from 27 studies were categorized into four constructs: (1) perceived social support, (2) holding religious and spiritual beliefs, (3) identifying reasons for living, and (4) perceived positive personal skills and attributes. Conclusions The limited literature showed that resilience is important in understanding suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. There is a need for prospective research that investigates moderating effects of psychological resilience in the pathways to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. Practitioner pointsNovel evidence for four psychological constructs which may confer resilience to suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. Strong evidence for the impact of perceived social support and appraisals of personal skills and attributes on the severity of suicidal experiences in people with schizophrenia diagnoses. There was equivocal evidence for the effect of holding religious and spiritual beliefs on suicide attempts. Clinical practice would benefit from assessing perceived personal attributes and levels of social support from significant others and health professionals.