Suicidal Behavior as a Cry of Pain: Test of a Psychological Model

The cry of pain hypothesis (Pollock Williams, 2001) is a psychological model of suicidal behavior that extends existing theories of escape (Baumeister, 1990) and arrested flight (Gilbert & Allan, 1998). The model conceptualizes suicidal behavior as the response (the cry) to a situation that has three components: defeat, no escape and no rescue. In this study, the model was tested empirically in a case control study, by comparing suicidal patients and matched hospital controls on measures of affect, stress and post-traumatic stress. The logistic regression analyses yielded evidence to support the model. The implications for future research are described.