It's Not Just In Your Head #043: Suicide vs. Fighting For Worlds Worth Living In (w/ Prof. Jennifer White)
This week we talk to Jennifer White, one of the founders of the Critical Suicidology Network. White is a professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. She served for 7 years as the Director of Suicide Prevention Center in the Dept. of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. With White, we learn about the new field of "critical suicidology," which seeks to rethink what it means to study and prevent suicide in a more diverse and less psycho-centric and depoliticized ways. We explore how historical factors like colonialism and genocide, deindustrialization, gender violence and racism impact suicide. While DBT's mantra as a modality is to help clients "build a life worth living," White challenges us to develop approaches that empower suicidal people to fight to build a WORLD worth living in.
Here is an additional interview and podcast with Jennifer White from Mad In America:
https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/11/rethinking-suicide-prevention-interview-critical-suicide-studies-jennifer-white/
A book that Prof. White recommends, including an article she wrote on collective ethics of suicide prevention:
Suicide and Social Justice New Perspectives on the Politics of Suicide and Suicide Prevention
https://www.routledge.com/Suicide-and-Social-Justice-New-Perspectives-on-the-Politics-of-Suicide/Button-Marsh/p/book/9781138601840
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ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message: This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any health decisions or management.