Preventing Suicide through Social Connectedness: An Overview of What We Know About Promoting Connectedness
This was the first webinar of the ICRC-S 2018-19 webinar series, Preventing Suicide by Promoting Social Connectedness: An Overview of What We Know About Promoting Connectedness. In this webinar, Kim Van Orden, PhD, from the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester, discussed the state of the science on social connectedness as an intervention target to prevent suicide. She discussed current challenges faced by researchers and practitioners in suicide prevention, including how to define and measure connectedness; clarifying the role of connectedness as an intervention target (e.g., causal factor and/or buffer or protective factor); limitations of what is known about promoting connectedness; and opportunities for the field to build a portfolio of evidence-based strategies to promote connectedness.
Research
The interpersonal theory of suicide. Van Orden, K. A., Witte, T. K., Cukrowicz, K. C., Braithwaite, S. R., Selby, E. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2010). Psychological review, 117(2), 575-600. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3130348/
Interested in measures to assess social connectedness? It’s best to select measures of Social Connectedness based on the population with whom you’re working. Two potential resources are:
- Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire which measures belonging: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3377972
- Loneliness Scales (multiple scales) https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/measuring-loneliness/