Reel Therapy: Taking the Cinematic Route to Suicide Intervention

Title

Reel Therapy: Taking the Cinematic Route to Suicide Intervention

Creator

Ahuja, Samridhi; Walia, Dakshi; Kumar, Updesh

Description

Suicide has been recognised as a significant public health concern by the United Nations, making effective interventions crucial to prevent loss of life and the ripple effect it has on the family and friends of the individual. Conventional therapeutic approaches tend to focus on talk therapy as a way to provide assistance to the individual in distress but emerging research evidences point towards the impact created by the use of auditory and visual stimuli. Reel therapy also known as movie therapy is one such intervention that aims at using films as a therapeutic tool. Studies suggest that movies can act as a powerful tool for creating insight and reducing stigma associated with seeking help when required. The chapter examines the theoretical foundation of reel therapy, reviewing associated concepts such as catharsis and symbolic representation in films. It explores how films can reduce emotions and provide a platform for the individuals to process their ideations and feelings related to suicide. Reel therapy exhibits potential to become a valuable addition to the ongoing efforts towards prevention of suicide, especially for populations that do not respond to the traditional intervention approaches. Through the chapter the authors attempt at emphasising the value of incorporating the universally loved phenomena of movies into suicide intervention as a complementary therapeutic tool, by bringing forth the unique strengths of reel therapy in facilitating emotional expression and assisting recovery. The chapter aims to contribute to growing literature on novel approaches to suicide intervention. 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Source

Handbook of Suicide Prevention: Insights, Strategies and Approaches;pp.463-476

Date

01-01-2025

Publisher

Springer Science+Business Media

Subject

Cinematherapy; Intervention; Psychodynamic approach; Reel therapy; Suicide; Therapeutic approach

Coverage

Ahuja S., Formerly at Christ University, Bangalore, India; Walia D., University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Kumar U., Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISBN: 978-981961403-5; 978-981961402-8;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-1403-5_25

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105023458036?origin=resultslist