Burden and benefits-related suicides: “misperception” or state crafted reality?

Abstract

Purpose This article aims to focus on deaths by suicide in relation to UK welfare reform as a case study to question one of suicidology’s most dominant theories – the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (Joiner, 2005) and its influential ideas on “perceived burdensomeness” – as well as wider ideologies on suicide and mental health reflected in this approach. Design/methodology/approach This article draws on evidence from disabled people’s campaigning groups (primary sources) and research literature (secondary sources), which shows the negative psychological impact of burden discourse and how this shows up in people’s accounts of feeling suicidal, in suicide notes and in family accounts of those who have died by suicide. It uses this evidence to problematise the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (Joiner, 2005), specifically its ideas about “burden” as an individual misperception, and the assumption that suicide is always the outcome of mental health problems. Findings The findings highlight the systemic, intersectional and cumulative production of suicidality by governmental “welfare reform” in the UK, through positioning welfare claimants as “burdens” on society. They show that by locating the problem of burdensomeness in individual “misperceptions”, the Interpersonal Theory allows the government’s role in crafting stigmatisation and conditions of suicidality to be overlooked and to be reproduced. Originality/value The article raises urgent ethical questions about the application of approaches, such as the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, to benefits-related suicides and calls for approaches to benefits-related harm and suicide to be rooted in social and disability justice.

Weaponising time in the war on welfare: Slow violence and deaths of disabled people within the UK's social security system

“…These deaths are often not understood as benefits– related deaths, and yet they are deeply connected by the intersections of systemic ableism and disablism, racism, classism, and patriarchy, and the State dehumanisation of disabled people. This is a context that has produced conditions of hostility towards disabled people that make life, for some, unliveable – inciting and eliciting suicidality and death (Mills, 2022).…”

School engagement and Interpersonal–Psychological Theory of Suicide: Identity groups differences

“…Joiner's Interpersonal–Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) has become a prevailing framework for understanding suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB) since its initial publication in 2005 (Chu et al., 2017; Mills, 2022; Muehlenkamp et al., 2015; Tomek, et al., 2018; Young et al., 2011). IPTS has withstood empirical testing to varying degrees across diverse samples and research designs for over a decade (Chu et al., 2017; Chung et al., 2022; Kang et al, 2018).…”

“…Perceived burdensomeness has been defined as an individual's perception that their existence creates an undue burden on their social support system, resulting in low self‐worth and a belief that one's death would be a benefit to others (Calati et al., 2022; Joiner, 2005; Mills, 2022; Tomek et al., 2018; Van Orden et al., 2010; Young et al., 2011). Thwarted belongingness is the perception of having a lack of meaningful relationships, resulting in feelings of isolation, loneliness, and low social connectedness (Hatchel et al., 2019; Joiner, 2005; Kang et al., 2018; Van Orden et al., 2010; Young et al., 2011).…”

Editorial

“…Burden and benefits-related suicides: ''misperception'' or state crafted reality? (Mills, 2022). Jordan et al make a note, A key Canadian organization addressing the social determinants of health among youth is Generation Squeeze, which has successfully lobbied governments to better address issue such as climate change, childcare costs and the astronomical cost of housing.…”