Forthcoming Special Issues

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2023), suicide is a leading mental health problem worldwide and the fourth most common cause of death among people aged 15 and 29 years and the second cause of death in the Western Countries in the young age. For many decades, research on this phenomenon has focused on identifying specific risk factors involved in promoting suicidal behavior. In more recent years, an approach has emerged that conceives of suicide as the potential outcome of a complex and articulated process of suicidality including both functions and intentions, which describes the evolution of certain psychological states beginning with a condition of psychache, a condition of unbearable and inescapable emotional triggering the suicidal ideation. In this perspective the focus is on the detection of precipitating factors and their subjective meaning. An essential part of suicide risk assessment includes an accurate monitoring of subjective experiences  that accompany and contribute to determine the possible transition from suicidal ideation to the self-destructive conducts.  In the context of this new theoretical-clinical framework, the implications regarding the need for specific and comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the individual and planning of treatments tailored to his/her characteristics are clear. This Special Issue, Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome (RIPPPO) is inviting manuscripts which provide relevant theoretical-clinical contributions or salient research findings on the subject of suicidality, including suicidal ideations and self-destructive intentions and actions, in order to improve the current approaches to assessment, prevention and interventions. Contributions coming from different theoretical, clinical and research perspectives are welcome. Specifically, we invite authors expert in the field as well as their trainees, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, to submit theoretical-clinical works, qualitative and/or quantitative (e.g., cross sectional or longitudinal) empirical studies, methodological research, single case studies, systematic (and scoping) review and meta-analyses, that address a clearly defined question or issue in one of the following aspects of research:

1. Underlying specific predictors of suicide: identifying and examining the impact of specific risk or precipitating factors (e.g., biological, psychological, and sociocultural) and their interaction in the suicidal process.

2. Suicide risk assessment: investigating the suicidal risk in the context of a comprehensive assessment of individual functioning that specifically takes into account the frequent association with certain personality disorders or distinct psychopathological conditions (e.g., depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, etc.) alongside other psychosocial and environmental stressors.

3. Differentiation between suicidal ideations and actions: suicidal ideations remain barely related or totally unrelated to intentional suicidal urges and actions versus suicidal thoughts and preoccupation that relate to enforced intents, plans and capability for suicide aiming actions. In addition, the differentiation between self-harming vs suicidal intents and actions is also important to include in assessment, especially in patient with severe personality disorders.

4. Suicide prevention: describing different methods and intervention strategies in public or private contexts involved in containing the spread of the phenomenon (not only in adulthood but also in developmental age); addressing the impact of intervention policies and best practices on suicide risk; investigate the impact of new technologies and forms of communication (e.g. social media) on this phenomenon; explore the effects of culture and current socio-cultural changes on suicide prevention.

5. The treatment of suicide: investigating the efficacy and effectiveness of various approaches to therapeutic treatment; examining the role of factors associated with the process and outcome of psychotherapies with suicidal patients; analyzing the implications of suicidal risk management for the psychotherapeutic process and technique; focusing on training and supervision of mental health professionals involved in the treatment of this clinical phenomenon.

Manuscripts have to comply with general RIPPPO editorial rules (see the guide for authors). All authors who are interested to apply in this Special issue must submit to RIPPPO website  within August 31^st 2024 , a file with: paper title, author(s) with affiliation(s), 3-5 keywords, corresponding author’s address, email and phone number, and a 250 words structured abstract (introduction, methods, results, discussion).
Please specify: “RIPPPO SPECIAL ISSUE ON NEW PERSPECTIVES IN THE STUDY OF SUICIDE RISK: IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT.” 

Timelines and deadlines 

Call for abstract: 30th April 2024
Acceptance communication: 15^th May 2024
Call for articles: deadline 15^th July 2024
Scheduled publication: 15^th December 2024

Article Processing Charges

Authors are NOT required to pay at the moment of submission. After the Editor’s acceptance letter of the Manuscript, the Managing Editor will guide the Authors through the payment procedure. No article will be published before waiver or payment.