Psychologist who explained death caused by ‘giving up’ to speak at BPS conference
A survival psychologist believed to have found the missing link to why some people die who are otherwise fit and healthy will address a BPS conference next month.
26 April 2022
Dr John Leach will discuss the term 'give-up-itis' – a response to traumatic stress that results in people developing extreme apathy, giving up hope and dying despite no obvious physical cause – at the event organised by the society's Crisis, Disaster and Trauma Section.
Dr Leach has more than 30 years' experience researching the survival instinct and has investigated why some people have lived through prison camps, shipwrecks and plane crashes.
A few years ago, he published a paper, believed to be the first to describe the clinical markers for cases where people die from giving up – medically known as a psychogenic death.
Dr Leach believes when a person feels overwhelmed by life or is unable to come out of a 'freeze' state, sparked in response to a threat or a perceived threat, it can lead to chemical imbalances in the body and changes the activity in the region of the brain that motivates them to take care of themselves. He said:
"When I first began my work in this topic I believed it to be relevant to a few people who find themselves in extreme survival situations; I have since discovered from the number of messages I received from around the world, that it is a much more common condition that can be triggered by different causes."
The recognition of psychogenic death as a natural process along with an understanding of its underlying mechanism should help to reduce fatalities amongst people in extremis, Dr Leach believes. He added:
"Also, I think it could shed light on our natural death process – it is something we all go through. Its importance will be assessed in time. There are implications for care but it is still early days."
The conference takes place on 20 May at the BPS offices in London.
Other speakers include Dr Noreen Tehrani, who will talk about resilience in the face of disasters, Professor Mark Wetherell, who will address the psychobiology cost of caregiving, Professor Gillian Thomson, who will focus on growth following birth trauma, and Dr Sally Zlotowitz, who will explore community action and resilience, drawing on the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Sarita Robinson will lead a workshop on how a psychobiological approach can help us to maintain good levels of mental wellbeing.