Review of Contemporary Philosophy ISSN: 1841-5261, e-ISSN: 2471-089X Vol 24 (01), 2025 pp. 541 - 554 541 https://reviewofconphil.com Social Representations and Social Imaginaries as Analytical Categories in the Study of Suicidal Ideation: A Critical Review 1 Julián David Salcedo Mosquera, 2 Ana María Lozano Hurtado , 3 Christian Andrés Cuero Gamboa 1 Professor at Universidad del Valle, Regionalization System – Certified Public Accountant, Universidad del Valle, Colombia (2010); Bachelor in History, Universidad del Valle, Colombia (2016); Lawyer in training (currently), Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca, Colombia; Specialist in Statutory Audit and Internal Control, Uniremington, Colombia (2016); Specialist in ICT Applications for Teaching, Universidad de Santander, Colombia (2021); Master’s in Strategic Management with a specialization in Management, UNINI – USA (2019); International Master’s in Auditing, UEA – Spain (2020); Master’s in Digital Technologies Applied to Education, Universidad de Santander, Colombia (2022); Doctoral Studies in Education, UBC, Mexico (2018–2023). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1600-5060 Email: julian.salcedo@correounivalle.edu.co – judasamo86@gmail.com – jsalcedo@uceva.edu.co 2 Professor at the Central Unit of Valle del Cauca – UCEVA, Psychologist from Antonio Nariño University (2011), Specialist in Child Neuropsychology – Pontifical Xavierian University (2013), Master's Degree in Peace, Development, and Citizenship – Minuto de Dios University Corporation (2018), Doctoral student in education. ORCID. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3068-0476 Email: amlozano@uceva.edu.co – alozano2728@hotmail.com 3 Professor at Universidad del Valle, Regionalization System – Bachelor in Basic Education with Emphasis in Foreign Languages, Unidad Central del Valle del Cauca, Colombia (2014). Master’s in Translation and Interpreting, Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, Colombia (2021). Currently Bilingualism Professional at SENA CLEM Tuluá and adjunct lecturer at UCEVA. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9627-2339 Email: christian.cuero@correounivalle.edu.co – teacherchristianc@gmail.com – ccuero@uceva.edu.co ABSTRACT: Objective: To comparatively analyze social representations and social imaginaries as analytical categories from an epistemological perspective in the context of suicidal ideation, highlighting their complementarity for strengthening humanistic and epistemological analyses. Methodology: A critical documentary review was conducted using specialized databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, complemented by recent literature from key authors in the field. Fifty indexed academic references were selected based on criteria of relevance, recency, and methodological rigor. The analysis focused on identifying convergences and divergences between the categories in terms of level of abstraction, temporality, and sources employed. Results: Social representations and social imaginaries share the function of providing methodological and epistemological coherence but differ in scope. Social representations organize and delimit concepts, while social imaginaries capture collective symbolic structures that contextualize narratives and cultural meanings. Their contrast allows for a dual perspective: categorical precision and symbolic contextualization. Conclusions: The two categories are not interchangeable but complementary. Their articulation enables a critical and in-depth understanding of suicidal ideation, integrating individual and collective dimensions of meaning. This integration strengthens the conceptual bridge between imagining and representing in humanistic studies. Implications: The incorporation of social representations and social imaginaries as analytical epistemological categories provides solidity to methodological designs in doctoral and advanced research. At the same time, it offers a useful framework for generating culturally sensitive approaches to suicide prevention, recognizing the interaction between the collective symbolic and the representational. Keywords: Social representations; Social imaginaries; Suicidal ideation; Humanities; Epistemology; Analytical category. Received: 18 July 2025 Received: 06 August 2025 Accepted: 01 September 2025