A Transactional Analysis Perspective on Suicide Risk Assessment

Abstract

The author discusses some of the difficulties in making suicide risk assessments. He focuses on Goulding and Goulding’s (1978) theory of injunctions, particularly their notion of a Don’t Exist injunction. He argues that this injunction in the mind of an individual can consciously or unconsciously lead to suicidality. Therefore, diagnosing the presence of a Don’t Exist injunction is useful in the assessment of suicide risk. A client illustration is included as an example of how to diagnose this injunction.

• suicide
• suicide risk assessment
• early decisions
• Goulding
• injunctions

Notes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tony White

Author Biography

Tony White, MSc, is a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy) who maintains an independent private practice of therapy and does neuropsychological assessments. He specializes in child and adolescent psychotherapy and is an avid writer of books and articles on psychology, philosophy, and psychotherapy. Tony has conducted a training program of transactional analysis in psychotherapy for 30 years in Perth, Western Australia. He can be reached at 136 Loftus St., North Perth 6006, Western Australia, Australia; email: [email protected].