ABSTRACT.
Suicide is a serious public health problem worldwide. Understanding its manifestation is important to outline future interventions. This narrative review of the literature aimed to discuss some of the most recent and prominently referenced theoretical models in the literature about suicide: Cognitive Model of Suicidal Acts, Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behavior, and Three-Step Theory. Also, we analyzed the explanatory variables the models have in common and the empirical evidence that supports them. The models indicate relationships between individual and contextual aspects and complement each other to understand suicide. While the literature extensively elucidates factors associated with suicidal ideation, the differentiation and transition from ideation to suicide attempts demand further elucidation to help identify people at risk of death and develop effective prevention and treatment actions. Despite being a premise of explanatory models, there was a lack of longitudinal studies that help predict suicide. The explanatory variables, supported by empirical evidence, can contribute to qualifying public health policies to combat the phenomenon.
Keywords:
Suicide; suicide attempt; literature review