Which of Shneidman’s Ten Commonalities of Suicide indicates a feeling of despair?

The concept of emotional hopelessness clearly aligns with a feeling of despair, which is a central theme in understanding suicidal ideation. Emotional hopelessness captures the profound distress and absence of perceived solutions or relief that individuals may feel in their circumstances. It emphasizes a negative emotional state where individuals believe that their situation will not improve and that they are stuck in a cycle of suffering. This sense of hopelessness is often a significant predictor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as it can lead to the belief that suicide is the only way to escape their pain.

While cognitive ambivalence relates to conflicting thoughts about life and death, and intolerable psychological pain refers more broadly to the overwhelming suffering a person may experience, emotional hopelessness specifically encapsulates the despair that can lead to suicidal thoughts. Similarly, frustrated psychological needs address unmet emotional or psychological desires but do not directly capture the depth of despair associated with hopelessness.