Perspectives on a Young Woman's Suicide A Study of a Diary

Perspectives on a Young Woman's Suicide is a unique and updated analysis of a diary left behind by "Katie," a young woman who took her own life. By drawing on clinicians, researchers, survivors of suicide loss, and those closest to Katie, this book delves into common beliefs about why people die by suicide and into the internal worlds of those who do, as well as ethical and moral questions surrounding those deaths. Several contributors discuss Katie’s suicide from the perspective of recent theories of suicide, including Joiner’s interpersonal theory and Klonsky’s three-step theory. Two contributors who have lost a child to suicide look at Katie’s diary from their perspective, one of whom discusses whether it is truly possible to prevent suicide. Finally, Katie’s sister reveals her reactions to this project and her ex-boyfriend shares his account of her death. This book is a vital addition to the library of any researcher, academic, or professional interested in suicide and suicide prevention.

Contributors 1. Introduction David Lester & John F. Gunn III 2. Who is Katie? David Lester 3. Katie’s Diary: The First Month Katie Commentaries 4. The Complexity of Suicide: Exploring Katie’s Diary through a Bioecological Lens John F. Gunn III 5. Katie from the Perspective of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide David Lester 6. Using the Three-Step Theory of Suicide to Understand Katie’s Desire for Suicide E. David Klonsky and Oscar F. Cetnarowski 7. Understanding Katie’s Experiences from The Perspective of the Integrated Motivation Volitional Model of Suicidal Behavior Tiago C. Zortea and Rory C. O’Connor 8. Katie’s Implicit Life Plan for the End of Summer: How Implicit Prospection May Influence the Course of Events Dmitri I. Shustov, Olga D. Tuchina and Anastasia Borodkina 9. What is the Meaning Katie? Katie’s Diaries Read through a Meaning-making Lens Birthe Loa Knizek and Heidi Hjelmeland 10. A Safe Place for Katie: A Gestalt Therapy Perspective on her Suicidal Experience Karolina Krysinska, Jan Roubal,and Dave Mann 11. Writing to Remain: Two Diaries from Young Women Who Wrote to Survive Linda Collins 12. Why Are We So Bad at Preventing Suicide? Donna Holland Barnes Conclusions 13. From the Ashes of Suicide: A Life Repurposed Katie’s Sister 14. What Happened During Katie’s Last Few Days: Mark’s Account 15. Why Did Katie Die by Suicide? David Lester and John F. Gunn, III

John F. Gunn III, isAssistant Professor of psychology at Gwynedd Mercy University, andhas examined suicide in a number of contexts, most notably examining theories of suicide across different populations. David Lester, isEmeritus Professor of psychology at Stockton University, has published extensively on suicide, murder and other issues in thanatology, with over 50 books in the fields of suicide and thanatology.