Mental pain as a predictive risk factor for committing suicide. Mentalization of mental pain

Abstract

The article examines the concept of mental pain and its potential influence on the decision to commit suicide, as well as the role of the mentalization method in working with patients who are at risk of suicidal behavior. The relationship between the experience of mental pain and the risk of suicide attempts in the short term is described. A brief review of theories and research describing mental pain and the causal relationships between mental pain and suicidal behavior is provided. Mental pain is considered as a prognostic factor of high readiness to commit suicide and as one of the main risk factors, which is taken into account equally with depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. The article briefly reviews additional influencing factors that can be predictors of suicidal behavior, they should be taken into account when assessing the psychological state and can complement the general psychological picture of suicidal risk. But the emphasis is on the key factor of suicidal risk - mental pain. The process of mentalizing is defined and the significance of object relations for the development of the ability to mentalize is considered; emphasis is placed on the impact of a violation of this process on the formation of the ability to monitor, analyze, endure, symbolize experiences and the negative impact on the development of the communication ability to convey messages about one's suffering. The hierarchy of mentalization in terms of the degree of mental processing, the function of mentalization and its various dimensions, as well as possible imbalances that may occur in one or more of its dimensions are described.