To be or not to be: Life-threatening thought patterns during a dolescence
Adolescence is a time of dramatic physica l and psychological growth. It is therefore especially alarming when teenag ers engage in self-destructive thoughts and actions. Many adolescents consi der or take actions to hurt themselves with the intent to die (i.e.\, suici dal ideation\, suicide attempt)\, while others do so in the absence of suic idal intent. One approach to explaining these clinical outcomes is to ident ify maladaptive thought patterns. Cognition shapes much of our reality\, an d may help explain why adolescents hurt themselves. In this talk\, I discus s several maladaptive thought patterns among youth that may help us underst and and ultimately reduce suicide and self-injury. I will present a series of studies that feature thought patterns ranging from those that are themat ically distal (e.g.\, episodic future thinking)\, to those that are proxima l to suicide and self-injury (e.g.\, attitudes toward death and cutting).
ABOUT
Scholarly In
terests: I apply principles from cognitive and social psychology t
o answer questions about suicide and self-injury among youth. How can we mo
re objectively assess suicide risk? Do certain patterns of thought place in
dividuals at greater risk of self-harm? How do cognitive and other types of
risk factors vary between adolescents and adults? To answer these question
s\, I conduct research through laboratory experiments\, hospital-based data
collection\, and meta-analyses.
Educational Background: