Psychological resilience to suicidal experiences

Abstract Psychological resilience, in general, and in particular when applied to suicidal experiences, lacks conceptual clarity. Here, we argue that psychological models of resilience to suicidal triggers and suicidal experiences must be grounded in the lived-experiences of experts-by-experience. There are, a least, five approaches to understanding resilience to suicidal experiences which should be systematically investigated. The dominant methodological approach is lacking in that it is simply uni-dimensional, i.e., represented by two poles of resilient and non-resilient; at risk and not at risk. More sophisticated models of psychological resilience to suicidal experience should be championed which span cultural, societal, and individual levels of understanding. Such approaches should be investigated using convergent qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. In addition, more complex, diary study methods should be used creatively in this area. It is also important that approaches to understanding resilience to suicidality should be sensitive to issues experienced by mental health professionals.