"[A] fascinating read... Contrary to what the title might suggest, this is an upbeat exploration of suicide with a positive message." — Jeanine Connor, Therapy Today, December, 2018
This thought-provoking volume offers a distinctly human evolutionary analysis of a distinctly human phenomenon: suicide. Its 'pain and brain' model posits animal adaptations as the motivator for suicidal escape, and specific human cognitive adaptations as supplying the means , while also providing a plausible explanation for why only a relatively small number of humans actually take their own lives. The author hypothesizes two types of anti-suicide responses, active and reactive mechanisms prompted by the brain as suicide deterrents. Proposed as well is the intriguing prospect that mental disorders such as depression and addiction, long associated with suicidality, may serve as survival measures.
Among the topics covered:
·         Suicide as an evolutionary puzzle.
·         The protection against suicide afforded to animals and young children.
·         Suicide as a by-product of pain and human cognition.
·         Why psychodynamic defenses regulate the experiencing of painful events.
·         Links between suicidality and positive psychology.
·         The anti-suicide role of spiritual and religious belief.
In raising and considering key questions regarding this most controversial act,  The Evolution of Suicide  will appeal to researchers across a range of behavioral science disciplines. At the same time, the book's implications for clinical intervention and prevention will make it useful among mental health professionals and those involved with mental health policy.

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Soper, C A

Springer Science+Business Media

Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Evolutionary psychology (Series), Cham, Switzerland, 2018

Evolutionary psychology, 1st edition, New York, NY, 2018

Evolutionary Psychology, 1st edition 2018, Cham, 2018

Place of publication not identified, 2018

Switzerland, Switzerland

1st ed. 2018, PS, 2018

Aug 03, 2018

2, 20180723

Memory of the World Librarian: Calamitous Annunciation

Source title: The Evolution of Suicide (Evolutionary Psychology)

In this radical and reflective volume, psychotherapist and evolutionary psychologist C A Soper offers evolutionary analysis of a distinctly human behaviour: suicide. Soper’s ‘pain and brain’ model posits ancient emotion as the motivator for suicidal escape, but specific human cognitive adaptations as supplying the means. The framework also provides a basis for explaining why only a relatively small number of humans actually take their own lives. Two types of anti-suicide systems are hypothesised, active and reactive mechanisms designed to obstruct suicide, manifest in a diversity of interconnected human psychological phenomena that are otherwise hard to explain. Among these is the intriguing proposal that some symptoms of common mental disorders such as depression and addiction, long associated with suicidality, may function as anti-suicide survival mechanisms.Among the topics addressed:· Suicide as an adaptive problem in human evolution.· Nonhumans’ and young childrens’ immunity to suicide.· The causation and course of common mental disorders.· Psychodynamic defences, regulating the experiencing of painful life events.· Positive psychology in autonomic suicide prevention.· The protective role of spiritual and religious belief.· A novel evolutionary explanation of altruistic behavior.· The suicide taboo as a kroll system.· Prediction and prevention of suicide. In raising and considering key questions regarding this most controversial act, The Evolution of Suicide will appeal to researchers across a range of behavioural and life science disciplines. The book’s implications for clinical intervention and prevention will make it useful also to mental health professionals and those involved with formulating mental health policy.
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From the Back Cover
This thought-provoking volume offers a distinctly human evolutionary analysis of a distinctly human phenomenon: suicide. Its ‘pain and brain’ model posits animal adaptations as the motivator for suicidal escape, and specific human cognitive adaptations as supplying the means , while also providing a plausible explanation for why only a relatively small number of humans actually take their own lives. The author hypothesizes two types of anti-suicide responses, active and reactive mechanisms prompted by the brain as suicide deterrents. Proposed as well is the intriguing prospect that mental disorders such as depression and addiction, long associated with suicidality, may serve as survival measures.
Among the topics covered:
· Suicide as an evolutionary puzzle.
· The protection against suicide afforded to animals and young children.
· Suicide as a by-product of pain and human cognition.
· Why psychodynamic defenses regulate the experiencing of painful events.
· Links between suicidality and positive psychology.
· The anti-suicide role of spiritual and religious belief.
In raising and considering key questions regarding this most controversial act, The Evolution of Suicide will appeal to researchers across a range of behavioral science disciplines. At the same time, the book’s implications for clinical intervention and prevention will make it useful among mental health professionals and those involved with mental health policy.
About the Author
C A Soper is a psychotherapist with particular experience in helping people with addiction problems and those dealing with the aftermath of suicide and other bereavements. Born in London, he has degrees from University of Cambridge and University of London, and is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. This book is based on doctoral research undertaken with University of Gloucestershire in England, which resulted in the award of a PhD. Soper lives and practices in Lisbon, Portugal.
Research & Methodology
General
Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology
Erscheinungsdatum: 03.08.2018

2024-12-16