suicide

Suicide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SuicideLatinsui caedere
, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally terminating ones own life. Suicide occurs for a number of reasons such as depressionsubstance abuseshame, avoiding pain, financial difficulties or other undesirable situations.Views on suicide have been influenced by cultural views on existential themes such as religionhonormeaning of life. Most Western and Asian religionsthe Abrahamic religionsBuddhismHinduismconsider suicide a dishonorable act; in the West it was regarded as a serious crimeoffenseGod due to religious belief in the sanctity of lifeJapanese views on honor and religion led to seppuku being respected as a means to atone for mistakes or failure during the samurai era; Japanese suicides rates remain some of the developed worlds highest. In the 20th century suicide in the form of self-immolation has been used as a form of protest, and in the form of kamikazesuicide bombing as a military or terrorist tactic.assisted suicideeuthanasiaright to dieethical issue involving people who are
terminally illpainquality of lifeillnessSelf-sacrifice
for others is not usually considered suicide, as the goal is not to kill oneself but to save another.The predominant view of modern medicine is that suicide is a mental health concern, associated with psychological factors such as the difficulty of coping with depressionsufferingfearmental disorders and pressures. Suicide is sometimes interpreted in this framework as a cry for help and attentiondespair and the wish to escape, rather than a genuine intent to die. Most suicides (for various reasons) do not succeed on a first attempt; those who later gain a history of repetitions are significantly more at risk of eventual completion.Nearly a million people worldwide die by suicide annually. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million attempted suicides every year. As many as 60,000 people commit suicide in Russia approximately 30,000 people die by suicide each year in the United States over 30,000 kill themselves in Japan and about 250,000 commit suicide each year in China While rates of committed suicides are higher in men, Women“>women have higher rates for suicide attempts. Elderly males have the highest suicide rate, although rates for young adults have been increasing in recent years. The countries of the former Soviet Blocsuicide rate The region with the lowest suicide rate is Latin America Up to at least the 1950s, it was the Republic of Ireland which had the lowest suicide rate in the world, as reported by an Irish TV news report in 2007. In India, suicide rates for Women“>women are nearly three times higher than those for men. Higher suicide rates among Women“>women have been reported in Chinamedical term for thoughts about suicide, which may range from vague or unformed urges to meticulously detailed plans and posthumous instructions. The condition requires professional intervention to determine its extent, including the presence of a suicide plan and the patients means to commit suicide. Severe suicidal ideation is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.Many suicidal people engage in suicidal activities that do not result in death. These activities fall under the clinical designation of parasuicide. Those with a history of such attempts are almost 23 times more likely to eventually end their own lives than those who dont participate in such activities.Sometimes, a person will make actions resembling suicide attempts while not being fully committed. This is called a Prototypical methods might be a non-lethal method of self-harm that leaves obvious signs of the attempt, or simply a lethal action at a time when the person considers it likely that he/she will be rescued or prevented from fully carrying it out.On the other hand, a person who genuinely wishes to die may fail, due to lack of knowledge about what they are doing, unwillingness to try methods that may end in permanent damage if he fails or harms others, or an unanticipated rescue, among other reasons. There is a conflict, whereby a genuinely suicidal person can be desperate enough to want to end their life but at the same time, too afraid to go through with the extreme measures that are needed to guarantee success. There is also a difference in genders, with men tending to try extremely dangerous, physical methods as opposed to Women“>women who tend to use methods such as overdosing etc. which is less frightening but less successful. It may be incorrect to state that a person who survived an overdose was issuing a cry for help when in reality it was a suicide attempt that simply failed. This highlights a basic fact that it is not easy to kill oneself in a way that is not traumatic or painful, hence the phenomenon of assisted suicides. This is referred to as a suicide attemptDistinguishing between a suicide attempt and a suicidal gesture may be difficult. Intent and motivation are not always fully discernible since so many people in a suicidal state are genuinely conflicted over whether they wish to end their lives. One approach, assuming that a sufficiently strong suicide intent will ensure success, considers all near-suicides to be suicidal gestures. This, however, does not explain why so many people who fail at suicide end up with severe injuries, often permanent, which are most likely undesirable to those who are making a suicidal gesture. (See: self-harming.) Another possibility is those wishing merely to make a suicidal gesture may end up accidentally killing themselves, perhaps by underestimating the lethality of the method chosen or by overestimating the possibility of external intervention by others. Suicide-like acts should generally be treated as seriously as possible, because if there is an insufficiently strong reaction from loved ones from a suicidal gesture, this may motivate future and ultimately more committed attempts.In the technical literature the use of the terms deliberate are preferred both of these terms avoid the question of the intent of the actions.A suicide being attempted, or a situation in which a person is seriously contemplating suicide or has strong suicidal thoughts, is considered by public safety authorities to be a medical emergencysuicide interventionA written message left by someone who attempts, or indeed dies by, suicide is known as a suicide note. The practice is fairly common, occurring in approximately one out of three suicides in the United States.[2] Motivations for leaving a note range from seeking closure with loved ones, to exacting revenge against others by blaming them for the decision. It may also contain a few sentences apologizing to those they may have left. Most suicide notes are hand-written, and also often left with a few personal possessions.Para-suicidality is a psychiatric term that refers to a suicidal gesture that is a marker for histrionic behavior, or even overt attention seeking. Para-suicidality is typically associated with Borderline personality disorder, psychotic Depression“>depression, and/or mania.People sometimes fake suicide, usually in order to escape legal, financial, or relationship difficulties and start a new life. In order to explain the absence of a body, it is common to fake suicide by drowning. The term pseudocide covers not only fake suicide, but other fake deaths too (primarily fake murder). There have been numerous cases of celebrity suicides that have been challenged as possible homicides. Among the most famous were the 1962 drug overdose death of Marilyn MonroeKurt CobainAnna Nicole Smith, as well as the 1949 death of James ForrestalIndividuals who wish to end their own life may enlist the assistance of another person to achieve death, e.g. by a deadly poison. The other person, usually a family member or physician, may help carry out the act if the individual lacks the physical capacity to do so even with the supplied means. According to different moral views, this may not be considered a form of suicide. The assistant may think of it as acting in behalf of the individual, perhaps to end suffering, while opponents regard it as akin to murder. Assisted suicide is a contentious moral and political issue in many countries.The motivation for the murder in murder-suicide can be purely criminal in nature or be perceived by the perpetrator as an act of care for loved ones in the context of severe Depression“>depression. The severely depressed person may see the world as a terrible place and can feel that they are helping those they care about by removing them from it. Thoughts like this are generally regarded as a medical emergencysuicide interventionSince crime just prior to suicide is often perceived as being without consequences, it is not uncommon for suicide to be linked with homicide. Motivations may range from guilt to evading punishment, insanity, part of a suicide pact, or exacting revenge on those whom they feel are responsible.A suicide attack is when an attacker perpetrates an act of violence against others, typically to achieve a military or political goal, that foreseeably results in his or her own death as well. Suicide bombings have been prominent in the news in recent years. Other historical examples include the assassination of Tsar Alexander IIkamikaze attacks by Japanese air pilots during the Second World WarSelf-harm is not a suicide attempt; however, initially self-injury was classified as a suicide attempt. There is a non-causal correlation between self-harm and suicide; both are most commonly a joint effectdepression. A common misconception is that self-injurers are suicidal. Self-injury is an attempt to cope with life and continue livingfirearms are readily available, many suicides involve the use of firearms. Over 55 of suicides that occurred in the United States in 2001 were by firearm.Asphyxiationhangingpoisoningoverdose) are fairly common as well. Each comprised about 20 of suicides in the US during the same time period. Other methods of suicide include blunt force trauma (jumping from a building or bridge, or stepping in front of a train, for example), exsanguination or bloodletting (slitting ones wrist or throat), intentional drowning, self-immolationelectrocution, car collision and intentional starvationdocumentary film tells the story of 24 people who committed suicide and their families responses. All the suicides took place at San FranciscoGolden Gate BridgeSuicide poses a conundrum to sociobiologists: Why would one choose to eliminate oneself from the gene pool Sociobiologists debate the ultimate adaptive advantage of suicidality, while at a proximate level of animal behaviour, no single factor has gained acceptance as a universal cause of suicide. Depressionphenomenon amongst those who die by suicide.Other factors that may be related are as follows (note that this is not meant as a comprehensive list, but rather as a summary of notable causes):Studies show a high incidence of psychiatric disorders in suicide victims at the time of their death with the total figure ranging from 98mood disorderssubstance abuse being the two most common. In schizophrenia suicide can be triggered by either the Depression“>depression that is common with this disorder, or in response to command auditory hallucinations. Suicide among people suffering from bipolar disorder is often an impulse, which is due to the sufferers extreme mood swings (one of the main symptoms of bipolar disorder). Severe Depression“>depression is considered a terminal illness due to the likelihood of suicide when left untreated.According to official statistics, about a million people die by suicide annually, more than those murdered or killed in war. As of 2001 in the USA, suicides outnumber homicides by 3 to 2 and deaths from AIDSGender and suicidemales die much more often than females by suicide, while females attempt suicide more often; this has been true for at least a century. Some medical professionals believe this is due to the fact that males are more likely to end their life through violent means (guns, knives, hanging, etc.), while Women“>women primarily overdose on medications or use other methods which may be less likely to result in death; again, this has been the case for at least a century.Others ascribe the difference to inherent differences in male/female psychology. Greater social stigma against male Depression“>depression and a lack of social networks of support and help with Depression“>depression is often identified as a key reason for mens disproportionately higher level of suicides, since suicide as a cry for help is not seen as an equally viable option by men. Typically males die from suicide 3 to 4 times as often as females, and not unusually 5 or more times as often.Excess male mortality from suicide is also evident from data from non-western countries. In 197981, 74 territories reported one or more cases of suicides. Two of these reported equal rates for both sexes: SeychellesKenya. Three territories reported female rates exceeding male rates: Papua New GuineaMacauFrench Guiana. The remaining 69 territories had male suicide rates greater than female suicide rates.Barraclough found that the female rates of those aged 514 equaled or exceeded the male rates only in 14 countries, mainly in South AmericaAsiaNational suicide rates sometimes tend to be stable. For example, the 1975 rates for Australia, Denmark, England, France, Norway, and Switzerland, were within 3.0 per 100,000 of population from the 1875 rates. The rates in 191014 and in 1960 differed less than 2.5 per 100,000 of the population in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands.There are considerable differences between national suicide rates. Findings from two studies showed a range from 0 to more than 40 suicides per 100,000 of population.National suicide rates, apparently universally, show a long-term upward trend. This trend has been well-documented in European countries. The trend for national suicide rates to rise slowly over time might be an indirect result of the gradual reduction in deaths from other causes, i.e. falling death rates from causes other than suicide uncover a previously hidden predisposition towards suicide. There may also be an explanation in the reduced stigma attached to survivors as suicide is no longer a crime or a sin. This may allow coroners to record more suicides as such and so increase stats.Ethnic groups and suicide: In the USA, Asian-Americans are more likely to die by suicide than any other ethnic group. Caucasians die by suicide more often than African Americans do. This is true for both genders. Non-Hispanic Caucasians are nearly 2.5 times more likely to kill themselves than are African Americans or HispanicsAge and suicide: In the USA, males over 70 die by suicide more often than younger males. There is no such trend for females. Older non-Hispanic Caucasian men are much more likely to kill themselves than older men or Women“>women of any other group, which contributes to the relatively high suicide rate among Caucasians.Season and suicide: People die by suicide more often during spring and summer. The idea that suicide is more common during the winter holidays (including Christmasnorthern hemisphere) is a common misconception. There is also potential risk of suicide in some people experiencing Seasonal affective disorderHeroic suicide, for the greater good of others, is often celebrated. For instance, Mahatma Gandhihunger strike to prevent fighting between HindusMuslims, and, although he was stopped before dying, it appeared he would have willingly succumbed to starvation. This attracted attention to Gandhis cause, and generated a great deal of respect for him as a spiritual leader. In the 1960s, BuddhistmonksThch Qung cSouthVietnamWestern attention to their protests against President
Ng nh Dimburning themselves to deathQuakerNorman Morrisonself-immolation
to protest the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Similar events were reported during the
Cold Wareastern EuropeRyszard SiwiecJan PalachJan ZajcSovietCzechoslovakiaRomas Kalanta
s self-immolation in the main street of KaunasLithuania in 1972. More recently, in 2006, an American anti-war activist, Malachi Ritscher, died by suicide by self-immolation as a protest against the Iraq“>Iraq war. In Ireland there exists a long tradition of hunger strike to the death against British rule, predominantly in Northern Ireland during the infamous 1981 hunger strikes, led by Bobby Sands, which resulted in 10 deaths. The period caused international outrage as shown, for example, by the Indian parliament standing for two minutes of silence or, more bemusingly, the Iranian government renaming the street in Tehran on which the British Embassy stands to Bobby Sands Street, named after the first hunger-striker to die in 1981. Before the Republic of Ireland got its independence there were also examples of hunger striking, such as Terence McSwiney in Cork. Critics may see such suicides as counter-productive, arguing that these people would probably achieve a comparable or greater result by spending the rest of their lives in active struggle. This is a contentious issue, especially when one considers that the Northern Ireland hunger strikers who died trying to obtain certain prisoners rights (e.g. POW status, right to wear own clothes, right not to have to work, etc.) actually had nearly all their requests eventually granted in the years after the spate of 1981 hunger strikes happened.Sometimes a person who has committed a crime will commit suicide to avoid prosecution and disgrace:In the desperate final days of World War IIJapanesekamikaze missions in an attempt to forestall defeat for the Empire. In Nazi Germany, many soldiers and government officials (including Adolf Hitler and many in his inner circle) killed themselves rather than surrender to Allied forces; Luftwaffe squadrons were formed to smash into AmericanB-17s during daylight bombing missions, in order to delay the highly-probable Allied victory, although in this case, inspiration was primarily the Soviet and Polish taranramming attacks, and death of the pilot was not a desired outcome. The degree to which such a pilot was engaging in a heroic, selfless action or whether they faced immense social pressure is a matter of historical debate. The Japanese also built one-man human torpedosubmarinesHowever, suicide has been fairly common in warfare throughout history. Soldiers and civilians committed suicide to avoid capture and slavery (including the wave of German and Japanese suicides in the last days of World War II). Commanders committed suicide rather than accept defeat. Spies and officers have often committed suicide to avoid revealing secrets under interrogationtorture. Behaviour that could be seen as suicidal occurred often in battle, for instance a soldier falling on a grenade to save his comrades. Other examples include soldiers under cannonBattle of Waterloo who took fatal hits rather than duck and place their comrades in harms way.
Charge of the Light BrigadeCrimean WarPicketts ChargeGettysburgAmerican Civil War
, and the charge of the French cavalry at the Battle of SedanFranco-Prussian War were assaults that continued even after it was obvious to participants that the attacks were unlikely to succeed and would probably be fatal to most of the attackers. Japanese infantrymen usually fought to the last man, launched banzai suicide charges, and suicided during the Pacific island battles in World War II. In SaipanOkinawa, civilians joined in the suicides. Suicidal attacks by pilots were common in the 20th century: the attack by U.S. torpedo planesBattle of MidwaykamikazeRitual suicide is the act of suicide motivated by a religious, spiritual, or traditional ritual.An extreme interpretation of Hindu custom historically practiced, mostly in the 2nd millennium, was self-immolation by a widow as an assurance that she will be with her husband for the next life. Other rituals of self-immolation or self-starvation were used by HinduJainBuddhist monks for religious or philosophical purposes, or as a form of extreme non-violent protest. In China, some groups would practice suicide for similar reasons. In Japan, rituals of suicide like seppukuIt is estimated that an average of six people are suicide survivors for each suicide that occurs in the United States. In the context of suicide, the word survivors refers to the family and friends of the person who has died by suicide; this figure therefore does not represent the total number of people who may be affected. For example, the suicide of a child may leave the school and their entire community left to make sense of the act.As with any death, family and friends of a suicide victim feel grief associated with loss. These suicide survivors are often overwhelmed with psychological trauma as well, depending on many factors associated with the event. This trauma can leave survivors feeling guiltyangryremorsefulconfused. It can be especially difficult for survivors because many of their questions as to why the victim felt the need to take his or her own life are left unanswered. Moreover, survivors often feel that they have failed or that they should have intervened in some way. Given these complex sets of emotions associated with a loved ones suicide, survivors usually find it difficult to discuss the death with others, causing them to feel isolated from their own network of family and friends and often making them reluctant to form new relationships as well.Survivor groups can offer counseling and help bring many of the issues associated with suicide out into the open. They can also help survivors reach out to their own friends and family who may be feeling similarly and thus begin the healing process. In addition, counseling services and therapy can provide invaluable support to the bereaved. Some such groups can be found online, providing a forum for discussion amongst survivors of suicide (see Support Groups for Survivors section below).Deaths and injuries from suicidal behavior represent 25 billion each year in direct costs, including health care services, funeral services, autopsies and investigations, and indirect costs like lost productivity.These costs may be counterbalanced by economic gains. Expenditure on those who would have continued living is reduced, including pensions, social security, health care services for those with brain disorders (mentally ill), as well as other normal budgetary expenditure per head of living population.Modern medicine treats suicide as a mental health issue. Overwhelming or persistent suicidal thoughts are considered a medical emergency. Medical professionals advise that people who have expressed plans to kill themselves be encouraged to seek medical attention immediately. This is especially relevant if the means (weapons, drugs, or other methods) are available, or if the patient has crafted a detailed plan for executing the suicide. Medical personnel frequently receive special training to look for suicidal signs in patients. Individuals suffering from Depression“>depression are considered a high-risk group for suicidal behavior. Suicide hotlines are widely available for people seeking help. However, the negative and often too clinical reception that many suicidal people receive after relating their feelings to health professionals (e.g. threats of institutionalization, increased dosages of medication, the social stigma) may cause patients to remain more guarded about their mental health history or suicidal urges and ideation.United States, individuals who express the intent to harm themselves are automatically determined to lack the present mental capacity to refuse treatment, and can be transported to the emergency departmentemergency physician will determine whether inpatient care at a mental health care facility is warranted. This is sometimes referred to as being committed. A court hearing may be held to determine the patients In some jurisdictions, an act or failed act of suicide is considered to be a crime. More commonly, a surviving party member who assisted in the suicide attempt will face criminal charges.Brazil, if the help is directed to a minor, the penalty is applied in its double and not considered as homicideItalyCanada, instigating another to suicide is also a criminal offense. In Singapore, assisting in the suicide of a mentally handicapped person is a capital offense. In India, abetting suicide of a minor or a mentally challenged person can result in a possible death penalty, otherwise a maximum 10 years prison term. [3]In the Warring States Period and the Edo period of Japansamurai who disgraced their honor chose to end their own lives by seppuku, a method in which the samurai takes a sword and slices into his abdomen, causing a fatal injury. The cut is usually performed diagonally from the top corner of the samurais writing hand, and has long been considered an honorable form of death (even when done to punish dishonor). Though such a wound would be fatal, seppuku was not always technically suicide, as the samurais assistant (the kaishaku) would stand by to cut short any suffering by quickly administering a fatal cut to the back of the neck (just short of decapitation), sometimes as soon as the first tiny incision into the abdomen was made.In most forms of Christianity, suicide is considered a sin, based mainly on the writings of influential Christian thinkers of the Middle AgesSt. AugustineSt. Thomas Aquinas. Their arguments center around the commandment Thou shalt not kill (made applicable under the New CovenantJesusMatthew 19:18), as well as the idea that life is a gift given by God which should not be spurned, and that suicide is against the natural order and thus interferes with Gods master plan for the world.[4][5] However, it is believed that mental illness or grave fear of suffering diminishes the responsibility of the one completing suicide.[6] Suicide was not considered a sin under the Byzantinecode of Justinian[7][8]Judaism focuses on the importance of valuing this life, and as such, suicide is tantamount to denying Gods goodness in the world. Despite this, under extreme circumstances when there has seemed no choice but to either be killed or forced to betray their religion, Jews have committed individual suicide or
mass suicideMasadaFirst French persecution of the JewsYork Castle
for examples) and as a grim reminder there is even a prayer in the Jewish liturgy for when the knife is at the throat, for those dying to sanctify Gods Name. (See: ). These acts have received mixed responses by Jewish authorities, regarded both as examples of heroic martyrdom, whilst others state that it was wrong for them to take their own lives in anticipation of martyrdom.Suicide is not allowed in the religion of Islam; however, martyring oneself for Allah (during combat) is not the same as completing suicide. Suicide by Muslim standards is traditionally seen as a sign of disbelief in God.[9]suicide bombing is therefore a controversial one in Islam. Groups like Hamas consider it necessaryfor instance, in the struggle against occupation.Hinduism, suicide is frowned upon and is considered equally sinful as murdering another. Hindu Scriptures state that one who commits suicide will become a ghostSome see suicide as a legitimate matter of personal choice and a human right (colloquially known as the right to die movement), and maintain that no one should be forced to suffer against their will, particularly from conditions such as incurable disease, mental illness, and old age that have no possibility of improvement. Proponents of this view reject the belief that suicide is always irrational, arguing instead that it can be a valid last resort for those enduring major pain or trauma. This perspective is most popular in continental Europe,[10] where euthanasia and other such topics are commonly discussed in parliament, although it has a good deal of support in the United States as well.A narrower segment of this group considers suicide something between a grave but condonable choice in some circumstances and a sacrosanct right for anyone (even a young and healthy person) who believes they have rationally and conscientiously come to the decision to end their own lives. Notable supporters of this school of thought include German pessimist philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer[11]David Hume[12] Adherents of this view often advocate the abrogation of statutes that restrict the liberties of people known to be suicidal, such as laws permitting their involuntary commitment to mental hospitals. Critics may argue that suicidal impulses are often products of mental illness rather than rational self-interest, and that because of the gravity and irreversibility of the decision to take ones life it is more prudent for society to err on the side of caution and at least delay the suicidal act.
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