This study is anchored on Thomas Joiner’s Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. This theory suggests that one will only successfully commit suicide if the individual has both the willingness and means or ability to do so (Joiner, 2009). The willingness to die by suicide boils down to two psychological states – perceived burdensomeness and a low sense of belongingness or social alienation. If these two states are constantly held in the mind of an individual simultaneously and for a long period of time, an individual will likely develop a desire for death. An individual with the ability to commit suicide is one that has developed a fearlessness of pain, injury, and death (Joiner, 2009). This fearlessness stems from recurrent painful and rather challenging experiences, such as inflicting pain on oneself and even the …show more content…
According to Joiner (2009), this misperception leads individuals to believe that their “death is worth more than theirs lives to their families, friends, and the society.” These individuals tend to be highly self-conscious, therefore, often sensitive to mockery or ridicule and prone to feeling inferior toward others. They are often unable to handle difficult situations – a trait that one would find in an individual with a high level of neuroticism as well.
An individual with a low sense of belongingness, on the other hand, often experiences feelings of alienation from the environment. One often feels unimportant even when in familiar environments. The relationship between belongingness and suicidal behavior have long been established and explored in the past by numerous researchers (Joiner, 2009). It is safe to say that an individual with a low sense of belongingness is also someone who has low levels of extraversion. The feelings of alienation would often result to the preference of being alone and engaging in solitary