Background: Traumatic stress, suicide, and impulsive violence arguably are three of the most consequential problems facing societies today. Self-regulation shift theory is introduced to capture the underlying coping dynamics involved in these three grave challenges.
Objectives: Self-regulation shift theory, based in a nonlinear dynamical systems framework, focuses on critical psychological self-regulation thresholds and the role of cognitive self-appraisals in human adaptation to help understand these three significant societal challenges.
Methods: This essay reviews existing evidence within the posttraumatic adaptation process utilizing SRST for understanding dynamic self-regulation. This is followed by integrating SRST within existing current theoretical models for suicidal behaviors and violent outbursts.
Conclusions: The essay concludes with methodological suggestions for future research applying SRST and how this research offers important opportunities to develop early warning systems that promote hope when hope seems impossible.
Keywords: Self-efficacy; dynamical systems; self-regulation; suicide; trauma; violence.