Originally published at: Suicidal Behavior, Science, & Mixed Martial Arts with Dr. David Klonsky | Jedi Counsel
Dr. David Klonsky is a clinical psychology professor who conducts research on suicidal behavior, personality, emotion, and assessment. He developed the three-step theory, which is an important and parsimonious theory of suicidal behavior. David also conducted foundational work on the functions of nonsuicidal self-injury. After discussing suicidal behavior research, we shifted the conversation to open science and criticism of National Institute of Mental Health grant funding priorities. Then, we talked about mixed martial arts – both our own experiences and David’s work consulting with athletes competing in combat sports. We concluded with thoughts about why Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Wars are so good. This episode was SO much fun to make, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!
Show Notes
Suicide Research
You can follow Dr. David Klonsky on Twitter and check out his lab’s research on Google Scholar. For example, I recommend:
Ideation-to-Action Theories of Suicide: A Conceptual and Empirical Update
On the episode, I mentioned that I wrote a blog post about the three-step theory and how I believe it can advance public discussion about suicide.
Mixed Martial Arts Media Appearances
You can also follow David’s MMA Twitter account.
5 Rounds: Psychology of MMA, Mark Bocek on Bendo vs. Thomson and More – Fight Network
Ronda Rousey’s Return at UFC 207 – Fight Network
Connor McGregor’s Winning Ways; Mentally Breaking Opponents – Fight Network
Suicide prevention information and resources are available here and you can learn more about nonsuicidal self-injury here.