Understanding Suicide Risk Through Social Cognition: The Role of Fearlessness About Death and Hypomentalizing

A Spanish study examines how factors like risk perception and the ability to understand others’ mental states influence the lethality of suicide attempts and self-harm

A recent study published in the journal Psicothema sheds light on two underexplored factors related to suicidal behavior: fearlessness about death (FAD) and hypomentalizing, which refers to difficulty in interpreting the thoughts and emotions of others.

The study, led by researchers from the SURVIVE consortium and coordinated across seven Spanish hospitals, analyzed data from over 1,300 individuals who had attempted suicide within the previous two weeks. The results show that both FAD and hypomentalizing mediate the relationship between suicidal ideation and self-injury, and that FAD is also directly associated with the lethality of the suicide attempt.

This means that people who exhibit less fear of death and have greater difficulty understanding others' mental states—or even their own—are at greater risk of engaging in severe suicidal behavior. Moreover, while these two factors do not appear to amplify each other’s effect when combined, they are independently significant in the emergence of such behaviors.

The authors emphasize the clinical relevance of these findings, as both factors are potentially modifiable. For instance, interventions based on improving mentalizing capacities may enhance social cognition and reduce suicide risk. They also highlight the importance of identifying risk profiles based on age and self-injury history to tailor prevention strategies more effectively.

This study adds new evidence to the interpersonal theory of suicide and calls for the inclusion of variables such as social context, sense of belonging, and perceived emotional support in clinical approaches to suicidal ideation.

Reference of original work:
Andreo-Jover, J., Fernández-Jiménez, E., Bobes, J., et al. (2024). Suicidal Behavior and Social Cognition: The Role of Hypomentalizing and Fearlessness About Death. Psicothema, 36(4), 403-413. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2024.82