When aspiration fails: A study of its effect on mental disorder and suicide risk

AbstractBackground rain Theory of Suicide postulates that psychological strains usually precede suicide mental disorders including suicidal behavior. The four sources of strain are basically (1) differential value conflicts, (2) discrepancies between aspiration and reality, (3) relative deprivation, and (4) lack of coping skills. This paper focuses on the effect of perceived failed life aspiration on the individualʹs mental disorder and suicide risk. or this study were from a large psychological autopsy study conducted in rural China, where 392 suicides and 416 community living controls were consecutively recruited. Two informants (a family member and a close friend) were interviewed for each suicide and each control. Major depression was assessed with HAM-D and the diagnosis of mental disorder was made with SCID. s found that individuals having experienced failed aspiration were significantly more likely than those having not experienced a failed aspiration to be diagnosed with at least one disorder measured by the SCID and major depression measured by HAM-D, and to be a suicide victim, which is true of both suicides and controls. sion tudy supports the hypothesis that the discrepancies between an individualʹs aspiration and the reality is likely to lead to mental disorder including major depression and suicidal behavior. Lowering a patientʹs unrealistic aspiration can be part of the of psychological strains reduction strategies in cognitive therapies by cliniciansʹ and mental health professionals.