Suicide Amongst College Students

There has been very little research or development of family-based theories that can explain or predict suicidal behaviors. While certain theories, such as psychoanalytic, interpersonal-psychological and even an evolutionary perspective, attempt to explain the occurrence of suicidal thoughts and actions they are not family-based at their core. Some of the perspectives surrounding behavioral, cognitive, and psychodynamic concepts have developed some form of family therapeutic value in their application, but do not explain the phenomena of suicide with a family-based framework. Mikhailova (2004) explains that Freud’s psychoanalytic view of suicide stems from the ego being overwhelmed by an object in the context of the death instinct. The death instinct initially serves as the means of survival. When the attachment to this object becomes too strong, the object no longer acts as an ally struggling against death. It begins to instigate death-seeking behavior. Only when the person completes the process of identification with the object is one capable of suicide. Mikhailova (2004) stated, “…by taking one’s own life, the person not only kills oneself but also destroys the ego-usurping inner object” (p. 22). More controversially Mikhailova (2004) mentions that the psychoanalytic explanation of self-destruction involves “not only avoiding unpleasure but actively seeking pleasure, and thus quite often pursuing sexual gratification” (p. 23). While the foundation of the psychoanalytic explanation of suicidality is inherently within the individual, has its merits within the psychological stage, and a psychoanalytic family theory, in deed, does exist, it would be difficult to reconcile a predictive and exploratory intervention within a family-ba...

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