Mental pain and its relationship to suicidality and life meaning

Israel Orbach; Mario Mikulincer; Eva Gilboa-Schechtman; Pinhas Sirota

doi:10.1521/suli.33.3.231.23213

Mental pain and its relationship to suicidality and life meaning

Israel Orbach, Mario Mikulincer, Eva Gilboa-Schechtman, Pinhas Sirota

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

152 Scopus citations

Abstract

Shneidman (1996) proposed that intense mental pain is related to suicide. Relatedly, Frankl (1963) argued that the loss of life's meaning is related to intense mental pain. The first goal of this research was to test Shneidman's proposition by comparing the mental pain of suicidal and nonsuicidal individuals. Meaning in life and optimism are the polar opposites of suicidality and hopelessness, and the examination of these variables in relation to mental pain was undertaken to provide a test of Frankl's proposition. In two studies, a relationship between a newly developed measure of mental pain-the Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale, 2002 (OMMP; see also Orbach, Mikulincer, Sirota & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2002)-and suicidal behavior and life meaning were examined. Results confirmed both propositions. Implications for the study of mental pain and suicide are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	231-241
Number of pages	11
Journal	Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
Volume	33
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.33.3.231.23213
State	Published - Sep 2003

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10.1521/suli.33.3.231.23213

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abstract = "Shneidman (1996) proposed that intense mental pain is related to suicide. Relatedly, Frankl (1963) argued that the loss of life's meaning is related to intense mental pain. The first goal of this research was to test Shneidman's proposition by comparing the mental pain of suicidal and nonsuicidal individuals. Meaning in life and optimism are the polar opposites of suicidality and hopelessness, and the examination of these variables in relation to mental pain was undertaken to provide a test of Frankl's proposition. In two studies, a relationship between a newly developed measure of mental pain-the Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale, 2002 (OMMP; see also Orbach, Mikulincer, Sirota & Gilboa-Schechtman, 2002)-and suicidal behavior and life meaning were examined. Results confirmed both propositions. Implications for the study of mental pain and suicide are discussed.",

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AU - Sirota, Pinhas

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Mental pain and its relationship to suicidality and life meaning

Abstract

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