Conference Agenda

Despite decades of research, our ability to predict and prevent suicidal behaviour remains limited. One reason may be that suicidal behaviour is not a simple linear process but a complex dynamic system in which psychological, social, and biological processes continuously interact over time. Complexity science offers new tools to study these interactions and may provide a richer understanding of how suicidal crises emerge and evolve.

In this plenary, I will discuss how approaches such as network analysis and formal modelling can advance both research and clinical practice. Dynamic network analyses suggest that psychological states such as entrapment, hopelessness, and rumination form reinforcing feedback loops that may contribute to the emergence and maintenance of suicidal ideation. Using Bayesian network modelling, we identified two potential pathways associated with suicidal ideation: one centred on defeat and entrapment, and another involving perceived burdensomeness and social support, both originating from perfectionism as a pre-motivational vulnerability. These findings illustrate how different psychological processes may converge on similar clinical outcomes.

To facilitate translation into practice, we developed a card game that enables clinicians to visualize and discuss interacting psychological mechanisms during training. Finally, I will present our ongoing work on an agent-based model of suicidal behaviour, based on a formal computational version of the Integrated Motivational–Volitional (IMV) model. By simulating interactions between mechanisms over time, this model allows us to test theoretical assumptions, explore individual trajectories, and evaluate the potential impact of interventions before they are implemented in clinical settings.

Together, these developments illustrate how viewing suicidality as a complex system can move the field beyond identifying isolated risk factors toward understanding the dynamic processes that give rise to suicidal crises. Complexity science offers an open frontier for developing more precise theories, improving clinical decision-making, and ultimately advancing suicide prevention.