A new book – Suicidality: a roadmap for assessment and treatment

A review by Catherine Acquadro, MD, Scientific Advisor, Mapi Research Trust, Lyon, France

“This book is brilliant!
It is a masterpiece which will, no doubt, be recognized in the next coming years as the book (the bible) to be read to understand suicidality. The book has 13 chapters and two appendices listing scales and related documents. I liked chapter 1 very much for its thought-provoking angles with a list of questions about willfulness, causes, phenomena (e.g., terms to be used: “suicidal ideation or behavior” vs. suicidality”), the need for a classification, and the predictability of the phenomena. Chapter 2 proposes an innovative model to understand suicidality: the authors propose a non-linear, dynamic model inspired from the work of Edward Lorenz, Henri Poincaré, or Robert Stetson Shaw. The pattern presented in this section displays episodic turbulence / chaos / unpredictability. In other words, it is consistent with chaos science. I really liked the graphic presentations, and found them enlightening. I have particularly enjoyed the section where the authors explain how this model may benefit clinicians and researchers. I will let you discover what the model suggests! Finally, you will understand the graphic on the front cover of the book better after you read this chapter. When moving on, I have been impressed by the clear definitions and classifications proposed for the phenomena (Part 4), events (Part 5) and disorders (Part 6). Chapter 9 provides an insight about the treatments that could be used to treat suicidality. I have been struck by the close proximity in the Mendeleyev Table (in groups 1 and 2) of several treatments that have been used (such as Lithium, Magnesium and Calcium). Coincidence? Accidental relationship? Nature has its own mysteries. Chapter 10 is of prime interest for all researchers involved in assessing suicidality either in clinical practice or research settings. It is mine of information! There are so many places of interest in this book that I am unable to cover them all! To conclude, readers should dive into chapter 12.3 – a case study on a new anti-suicidality medication, which provides hope for the future.
Thank you David and Jennifer for making history, considering the patient’s perspective, and providing guidance to clinicians. Merci!”
For more information go to: https://harmresearch.org/index.php/product/suicidality-a-roadmap-for-assessment-and-treatment/