Psychological and social pain

Abstract

Suicidal behaviors are defined as a unique clinical entity, based on a stressvulnerability model. Psychological pain, defined as a lasting unsustainable feeling resulting from an appraisal of an inability or deficiency of the self, is one of the most often mentioned reasons for suicide. Several authors have reported higher psychological pain in suicidal patients. Moreover, suicidal vulnerability influences psychological pain perception through neuropsychological impairments and neuroanatomical dysfunctions. Thus, suicidal individuals are in a state of intense focus on the pain and associated negative emotions. Interpersonal difficulties lead to social pain, a component of psychological pain. In addition, such difficulties are associated to impaired decision-making and trigger suicidal act. Thus, considering psychological/social pain at core of suicidal behavior may help to identify new biomarkers, to improve the understanding of pathophysiology of suicidal process, and to develop new therapeutic strategies.