Cognitive style and suicidal behaviour: Implications for therapeutic intervention, research lacunae and priorities

Abstract

Cognitive style is a well-established theoretical construct but there is considerable ambiguity in the way it has been used and uncertainty regarding the nature of its role in suicide. There is no evidence that specific cognitive dispositions prime people for suicide but there are indications that suicide is associated with a constriction in cognitive style. This constriction leads to decrements in problem-solving and information processing that can be addressed in therapeutic contexts. To help a suicidal person become a better problem-solver is not a trivial task but the evidence suggests that enriching cognitive styles through the development of thinking skills is possible when the therapy session is construed as a learning collaboration.