Implementing an Interpersonal Theory of Suicide Treatment Approach to Improve Outcomes in Suicidal Youth
type: CreativeWork
description: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, with rates that have continued to increase over the past several years. Theoretical models of suicide have arisen in order to provide an organizing framework to better understand this phenomenon. Among them, the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) has gathered significant empirical support. This theory proposes two interpersonal constructs that serve as a final common pathway to understanding suicidal ideation: thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. There has been limited translation of core themes of this theory to clinical care and there are few theory informed interventions present in the field of suicide prevention overall. We aimed to address this gap in the literature by intentionally targeting cognitions related to perceived burdensomeness with a series of novel interventions by conducting two separate studies. In Study 1 we first gathered information about the manifestation of perceived burdensomeness among suicidal adolescents from teens, their parents, and clinicians working with this population through a series of qualitative interviews. Results from these interviews indicated a need for an enhanced model of perceived burdensomeness highlighting potential mechanisms of change that may be harnessed during therapeutic interventions. Possible clinical interventions operating through these pathways were then developed for examination. In Study 2, a clinical trial was conducted in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) administering evidence-based care for suicidal youth. Participants were 124 adolescents who completed measures on IPTS variables, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk at intake, discharge, and one-month follow-up. The control arm of the study consisted of the treatment provided by the unchanged IOP and the experimental arm added the study interventions to standard care. Results demonstrated that the intervention did n…
abstract: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, with rates that have continued to increase over the past several years. Theoretical models of suicide have arisen in order to provide an organizing framework to better understand this phenomenon. Among them, the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005) has gathered significant empirical support. This theory proposes two interpersonal constructs that serve as a final common pathway to understanding suicidal ideation: thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. There has been limited translation of core themes of this theory to clinical care and there are few theory informed interventions present in the field of suicide prevention overall. We aimed to address this gap in the literature by intentionally targeting cognitions related to perceived burdensomeness with a series of novel interventions by conducting two separate studies. In Study 1 we first gathered information about the manifestation of perceived burdensomeness among suicidal adolescents from teens, their parents, and clinicians working with this population through a series of qualitative interviews. Results from these interviews indicated a need for an enhanced model of perceived burdensomeness highlighting potential mechanisms of change that may be harnessed during therapeutic interventions. Possible clinical interventions operating through these pathways were then developed for examination. In Study 2, a clinical trial was conducted in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) administering evidence-based care for suicidal youth. Participants were 124 adolescents who completed measures on IPTS variables, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk at intake, discharge, and one-month follow-up. The control arm of the study consisted of the treatment provided by the unchanged IOP and the experimental arm added the study interventions to standard care. Results demonstrated that the intervention did n…
author: Zullo, Lucas Peter Salvatore
language: en
keywords: Adolescent, Interpersonal Relations, Psychological Theory, Suicidal Ideation, Suicide, Young Adult
date published: 2021-09-17T17:59:18Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:52:34Z
provider: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2152.5/9619