@article{ref1,
title="Staring down death",
journal="Crisis",
year="2016",
author="Joiner, Thomas E. and Hom, Melanie A. and Rogers, Megan L. and Chu, Carol and Stanley, Ian H. and Wynn, Gary H. and Gutierrez, Peter M.",
volume="37",
number="3",
pages="212-217",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Lowered eye blink rate may be a clinically useful indicator of acute, imminent, and severe suicide risk. Diminished eye blink rates are often seen among individuals engaged in heightened concentration on a specific task that requires careful planning and attention. Indeed, overcoming one's biological instinct for survival through suicide necessitates premeditation and concentration; thus, a diminished eye blink rate may signal imminent suicidality. AIMS: This article aims to spur research and clinical inquiry into the role of eye blinks as an indicator of acute suicide risk. <br><br>METHOD: Literature relevant to the potential connection between eye blink rate and suicidality was reviewed and synthesized. <br><br>RESULTS: Anecdotal, cognitive, neurological, and conceptual support for the relationship between decreased blink rate and suicide risk is outlined. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Given that eye blinks are a highly observable behavior, the potential clinical utility of using eye blink rate as a marker of suicide risk is immense. Research is warranted to explore the association between eye blink rate and acute suicide risk.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0227-5910",
doi="10.1027/0227-5910/a000367",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000367"
}