George Grie: The way out or Suicidal ideation, 2007

Suicide (Latin suicidium, from sui caedere, to kill oneself) is primarily the act of intentionally terminating one's own life, though it is also used as a metaphor for the "willful destruction of one's self-interest" either as an individual or as a group.^[1] Suicide may occur for a number of reasons, including depression, shame, pain, financial difficulties or other undesirable situations. Nearly one million people worldwide die by suicide annually.^[2] There are an estimated 10 to 20 million attempted suicides every year.^[3] Look up suicide in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flying-Dutchman (2006). ... Suicide has been committed by people from all walks of life since the beginning of known history. ... For incidents of suicide depicted in fiction, see List of suicides in fiction. ... World map of suicide rates per 100,000. ... Modern medical views on suicide consider suicide to be a mental health issue. ... Various human cultures may have views on suicide not directly or solely linked to religious views of suicide. ... This page concerns suicide. ... In ethics and other branches of philosophy suicide poses a difficult question, answered differently by philosophers from different times and traditions. ... There are a variety of religious views of suicide. ... For the 1987 film, see Right to Die (film) The term right to die refers to various issues around the death of an individual when that person could continue to live with the aid of life support, or in a diminished or enfeebled capacity. ... A suicide crisis, suicidal crisis, or potential suicide, is a situation in which a person is attempting to kill himself or is seriously contemplating or planning to do so. ... Modern medical views on suicide consider suicide to be a mental health issue rather than allowing that individuals can make a sane or reasoned choice to take their own life. ... Various suicide prevention strategies have been used: Promoting mental resilience through optimism and connectedness. ... As a suicide prevention initiative, this sign on the Golden Gate Bridge promotes a special telephone that connects to a crisis hotline. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A suicide method is any means by which a person purposely kills him- or herself. ... A copycat suicide is defined as a duplication or copycat of another suicide that the person attempting suicide knows about either from local knowledge or due to accounts or depictions of the original suicide on television and in other media. ... Cult suicide is that phenomenon by which some cults, have led to their membership committing suicide. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see Animal euthanasia. ... A familicide is a type of murder or murder-suicide in which at least one spouse and one or more children are killed. ... Forced suicide is a method of execution where the victim is given the choice of committing suicide or facing an alternative they perceive as worse, such as suffering torture; having friends or family members imprisoned, tortured or killed; or losing honor, position or means. ... An Internet suicide is a suicide pact made between individuals who meet on the Internet. ... Mass suicide occurs when a number of people kill themselves together with one another or for the same reason and is usually connected to a real or perceived persecution. ... A murder suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons immediately before, or while killing himself. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... A suicide attack is an attack on a military or civilian target, in which an attacker intends to kill others, knowing that he or she will either certainly or most likely die in the process (see suicide). ... A suicide pact describes the suicides of two or more individuals in an agreed-upon plan. ... Suicide-by-cop is a suicide method in which someone deliberately acts in a threatening way towards a law enforcement officer, with the main goal of provoking a lethal response (e. ... Teenage suicide is the self-killing of a teenager. ... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ... Suicidal ideation is common medical term for the mere thoughts about and of plans of committing suicide, not the actual following through or act itself. ... A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... This article is about metaphor in literature and rhetoric. ... For other uses, see Depression. ... For other uses, see Shame (disambiguation). ...

Views on suicide have been influenced by cultural views on existential themes such as religion, honor, and the meaning of life. Most Western and Asian religions—the Abrahamic religions, Hinduism—consider suicide a dishonorable act; in the West it was regarded as a serious crime and offense against God due to religious belief in the sanctity of life. Japanese views on honor and religion led to seppuku, one of the most painful methods of suicide, to be respected as a means to atone for mistakes or failure or a form of protest during the samurai era. In the 20th century, suicide in the form of self-immolation has been used as a form of protest, and in the form of kamikaze and suicide bombing as a military or terrorist tactic. Sati was a Hindu funeral practice in which the widow would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.^[4] Honor (or honor) comprises the reputation, self-perception or moral identity of an individual or of a group. ... This article is about the concept of the meaning of life. ... Symbols of the three main Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam Map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Eastern (yellow) religions in each country. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... For other uses, see Sin (disambiguation). ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Symbol of Jain philosophy It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Inviolability. ... Hara-kiri redirects here. ... For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ... Thích Quảng Đức pictured during his self-immolation. ... USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near KyÅ«shÅ« on May 11, 1945. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ... // Ceremony of Burning a Hindu Widow with the Body of her Late Husband, from Pictorial History of China and India, 1851. ... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. ... Thích Quảng Đức pictured during his self-immolation. ... An Ubud cremation ceremony in 2005. ...

Medically assisted suicide (euthanasia, or the right to die) is a controversial ethical issue involving people who are terminally ill, in extreme pain, and/or have minimal quality of life through injury or illness. Self-sacrifice for others is not usually considered suicide, as the goal is not to kill oneself but to save another. Euthanasia (Greek, good death) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see Animal euthanasia. ... For the 1987 film, see Right to Die (film) The term right to die refers to various issues around the death of an individual when that person could continue to live with the aid of life support, or in a diminished or enfeebled capacity. ... For other uses, see Ethics (disambiguation). ... This article is about incurable disease. ... Look up Pain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the economic and philosophical concept. ... Injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical. ... Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health) can be defined as a state of poor health. ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the...

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 depression, inescapable suffering or fear, or other mental disorders and pressures. Suicide is sometimes interpreted in this framework as a "cry for help" and attention, or to express despair and the wish to escape, rather than a genuine intent to die.^[5] Most people who attempt suicide do not complete suicide on a first attempt; those who later gain a history of repetitions are significantly more at risk of eventual completion.^[6] Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing or an absence of a mental disorder. ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ... Suffering, or pain in this sense,[1] is a basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm in an individual. ... For other uses, see Fear (disambiguation). ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... Despair in common usage is the condition of having abandoned hope. ...

Suicidal phenomena

Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur.

The Reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets over the Dead Bodies of Romeo and Juliet by Frederick Leighton

A homeless girl contemplates drowning herself.

The suicide of Lucretia, a legendary rape victim

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Cleopatra redirects here. ... For other uses, see Romeo and Juliet (disambiguation). ... Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton (December 31, 1830 - January 25, 1896) was an English painter and sculptor. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 367 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (464 × 757 pixel, file size: 75 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 367 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (464 × 757 pixel, file size: 75 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2451, 403 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2451, 403 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Death of Lucretia by Sandro Botticelli Lucretia is a legendary figure in the history of the Roman Republic. ...

Suicidal ideation

Main article: Suicidal ideation

Suicidal ideation is a medical 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 patient's means to commit suicide. Severe suicidal ideation is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.^[7] Suicidal ideation is common medical term for the mere thoughts about and of plans of committing suicide, not the actual following through or act itself. ... Medical terminology is a process of accurately describing the human body and associated components, conditions, processes and procedures in a science based manner. ... Posthumous means after death. ... {{Otheruses4|the medical term|the Australian television series|Medical Emergenc an immediate threat to a persons life or long term health. ...

Suicidal gestures and attempts

Sometimes, a person will make actions resembling suicide attempts while not being fully committed. This is called a suicidal gesture. 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. A prototype is an original type, form, or instance of some thing serving as a typical example, basis, epitome, or standard for other things of the same category. ... Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ...

On the other hand, a person who genuinely wishes to die may survive, due to lack of knowledge, unwillingness to try methods that may end in permanent damage to her- or himself (in the event of an attempt which does not result in death), unwillingness to try methods which may harm others, an unanticipated rescue, among other reasons. There may be conflict, whereby a genuinely suicidal person can be desperate enough to want to kill themselves but at the same time, too afraid to go through with the extreme measures that are needed to guarantee death. 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 did not result in death. 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 attempt.

Edouard Manet: Suicide, 1877

Distinguishing 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 death, considers all near-suicides to be suicidal gestures. This, however, does not explain why so many people whose suicide attempts do not result in death 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x1751, 316 KB) Description: Title: de: Selbstmörder Technique: de: Öl auf Leinwand Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Frankreich Current location (city): de: Zürich Current location (gallery): de: Sammlung E. G. Bührle Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x1751, 316 KB) Description: Title: de: Selbstmörder Technique: de: Öl auf Leinwand Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Frankreich Current location (city): de: Zürich Current location (gallery): de: Sammlung E. G. Bührle Other notes: Source: The Yorck Project: DVD... Édouard Manet (portrait by Nadar) Édouard Manet (January 23, 1832 - April 30, 1883) was a noted French painter. ... This article focuses on repetitive self-injury, not severe self-injury inflicted during psychosis, such as eye enucleation and amputation. ...

In the technical literature the use of the terms parasuicide, or deliberate self-harm (DSH) are preferred – both of these terms avoid the question of the intent of the actions.

Nearly half of all suicides are preceded by an attempt at suicide that does not end in death. Those with a history of such attempts are 23 times more likely to eventually end their own lives than those without.^[8] Those who attempt to harm themselves are, as a group, quite different from those who actually die from suicide; females attempt suicide much more frequently than males, however males are four times more likely to die from their attempt.^[9]

Suicide crisis

Main article: Suicide crisis

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 emergency requiring suicide intervention. A suicide crisis, suicidal crisis, or potential suicide, is a situation in which a person is attempting to kill himself or is seriously contemplating or planning to do so. ... Suicidal ideation is common medical term for the mere thoughts about and of plans of committing suicide, not the actual following through or act itself. ... {{Otheruses4|the medical term|the Australian television series|Medical Emergenc an immediate threat to a persons life or long term health. ... Modern medical views on suicide consider suicide to be a mental health issue rather than allowing that individuals can make a sane or reasoned choice to take their own life. ...

Suicide note

Main article: Suicide note

A suicide note is a written message left by someone who attempts, or dies by suicide, though a large number of people who complete suicide do not leave one.^[10] Studies give inconsistent results as to the proportion of people who leave suicide notes - with a range of approx. 12 to 37%. Motivations for leaving a note range widely, 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 have left behind. A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. ... In psychology, closure may refer to the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event, such as the breakdown of a close interpersonal relationship or the death of loved one. ...

Related phenomena

Euthanasia

Euthanasia machine invented by Dr Philip Nitschke, on display at Science Museum, London.

Main article: Euthanasia

Individuals 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, as seen in the scandal surrounding Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a medical practitioner who supported euthanasia, was found to have helped patients end their own lives, and was sentenced to jail time. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1069x750, 104 KB) Summary Four terminally-ill people chose to end their lives using this machine. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1069x750, 104 KB) Summary Four terminally-ill people chose to end their lives using this machine. ... Philip Nitschke (born 1947) is an Australian medical doctor, Humanist and founder of the pro-euthanasia group Exit. ... The Science Museum on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see Animal euthanasia. ... Jack Kevorkian during his public appearance in January 2008 Jack Kevorkian (pronounced [1]) (born on May 26, 1928 [2]) is an American pathologist. ...

Murder-suicide

It has been suggested that Murder-suicide be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

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. 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 emergency requiring suicide intervention. Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... A murder suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons immediately before, or while killing himself. ... On the Threshold of Eternity. ... {{Otheruses4|the medical term|the Australian television series|Medical Emergenc an immediate threat to a persons life or long term health. ...

Since 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. Homicide (Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut, kill) refers to the act of killing another human being. ... This article is about the emotion. ... A suicide pact describes the suicides of two or more individuals in an agreed-upon plan. ...

A famous example of murder-suicide is the double murder-suicide of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, who was found hanging in his home along with the bodies of his wife and son. Christopher Michael Benoit (IPA: ) (May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler who wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. ...

A murder-suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons immediately before, at the same time as, or after killing him or herself.

The combination of murder and suicide can take various forms, including:

• Suicide to facilitate murder, as in suicide bombing
• Suicide after murder to escape punishment
• Suicide after murder as a form of self-punishment due to guilt
• Having a combined objective of suicide and murder
• Considering one's suicide as the main act, but murdering one's children first, to avoid them becoming orphans, to be together in an expected afterlife, in the context of severe depression where the person feels he is sparing his loved ones from a horrible life, or simply just to experience the act
• Joint suicide in the form of killing the other with consent, and then killing oneself
• Punishment - taking revenge on those deemed responsible and escaping the world seen as a terrible place, as in many school shootings
• Some cases of cult suicide may also involve murder. Conversely, many spree killings have ended in suicide.

Suicide attack

Main article: Suicide attack

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 as an act of terrorism. Other historical examples include the assassination of Tsar Alexander II and the in part successful kamikaze (Divine Wind) attacks by Japanese air pilots during the Second World War. As the WW2 progressed some pilots where locked into their cockpits to prevent escape. In that situation, the Japanese almost always chose to die with honor in an attempt to take out an aircraft carrier in the Carrier War. They tended to aim for the elevators which, when crippled, would stop the carrier from launching planes. A suicide attack is an attack on a military or civilian target, in which an attacker intends to kill others, knowing that he or she will either certainly or most likely die in the process (see suicide). ... Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevich (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (Moscow, 29 April 1818 – 13 March 1881 in St. ... USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near Kyūshū on May 11, 1945. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Self-injury

Main article: Self-injury

Self-injury is not a suicide attempt; however, initially self-injury was erroneously classified as a suicide attempt. There is a non-causal correlation between self-harm and suicide; both are most commonly a joint effect of depression. Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ... Joint effect is a logical fallacy of causation in which two phenomena that have a common cause are thought to be cause and effect themselves. ...

Suicide methods

Suicides by firearm in the United States, by gender and age, 1999–2005. Data from the CDC.

Main article: Suicide methods

In countries where firearms are readily available, many suicides involve the use of firearms. Over 52% of suicides that occurred in the United States in 2005 were by firearm.^[11] Asphyxiation methods (including hanging) and toxification (poisoning and overdose) are fairly common as well. Both comprised about 40% of suicides in the U.S. during the same time period. Other methods of suicide include blunt force trauma (jumping from a building or bridge, stepping in front of a train, or car collision, for example). Exsanguination or bloodletting (slitting one's wrist or throat), intentional drowning, self-immolation, electrocution, and intentional starvation are other suicide methods. A suicide method is any means by which a person purposely kills him- or herself. ... A firearm is a kinetic energy weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... Asphyxia is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body. ... This article is about death by hanging. ... For biological toxicity, see toxin and poison. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... In medicine, blunt force trauma is a type of physical trauma caused by impact from a blunt object. ... Exsanguination (also known colloquially as bleeding out) is the fatal process of total blood loss. ... Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a humans body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or hair. ... This article is about extreme malnutrition. ...

Reasons for suicide

Causes of suicide

There are a variety of reasons posited or given for suicide:

• Mental disorders
• Suffering
• Unrequited love
• Stress
• Grief
• As philosophically or ideologically motivated move
• To escape punishment or an abusive environment
• Guilt or shame
• Catastrophic injury
• Financial loss
• Self sacrifice
• As part of a military or social strategy (e.g. suicide attacks)
• Belief that life has no inherent value (e.g. absurdism, pessimism, nihilism)
• As part of a religious cult
• Loneliness
• To restore honor (e.g. seppuku)
• Curiosity for post-life occurrences.

Mental disorder or mental illness are terms used to refer psychological pattern that occurs in an individual and is usually associated with distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. ... Suffering, or pain in this sense,[1] is a basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm in an individual. ... Unrequited love is love that is not reciprocated, even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired. ... In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ... It has been suggested that Anticipatory Grief be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Look up Punishment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Abuser redirects here. ... This article is about the emotion. ... For other uses, see Shame (disambiguation). ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... A suicide attack is an attack on a military or civilian target, in which an attacker intends to kill others, knowing that he or she will either certainly or most likely die in the process (see suicide). ... Absurdism is a philosophy stating that the efforts of humanity to find meaning in the universe will ultimately fail (and, hence, are absurd) because no such meaning exists, at least in relation to humanity. ... In the Is the glass half empty or half full? phenomenon, the pessimistic approach would be to pick half empty. ... This article is about the philosophical position. ... Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. ... Loneliness is an emotional state in which a person experiences a powerful feeling of emptiness and isolation. ... Hara-kiri redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Suicide and mental illness

Studies show a high incidence of psychiatric disorders in suicide victims at the time of their death with the total figure ranging from 98%^[12] to 87.3%^[13] with mood disorders and substance abuse being the two most common. In schizophrenia suicide can be triggered by either the 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 sufferer's extreme mood swings (one of the main symptoms of bipolar disorder), or also possibly an outcome of delusions occurring during an episode of mania or psychotic depression. Severe depression is considered a terminal illness due to the likelihood of suicide when left untreated.^[14] The Scream, the famous painting commonly thought of as depicting the experience of mental illness. ... A mood disorder is a condition whereby the prevailing emotional mood is distorted or inappropriate to the circumstances. ... Also see Alcoholism and Drug addiction. ... A hallucination is a perception in the absence of a stimulus that the person may or may not believe is real. ... For other uses, see Bipolar. ... A delusion is commonly defined as a false belief, and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception. ... This article is an expansion of a section entitled Mania from within the main article Bipolar disorder. ... Psychotic depression is one of the most severe forms of the general depressive diseases in which the person experiences moments of delusional or paranoid being. ...

World map of suicide rates per 100,000.

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... World map of suicide rates per 100,000. ...

Epidemiology

Main article: Epidemiology of suicide

According to official statistics, about a million people die by suicide annually, more than those murdered or killed in war.^[15] According to 2005 data, suicides in the U.S. outnumber homicides by nearly 2 to 1 and ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in the country, ahead of liver disease and Parkinson's disease.^[16]

Gender and suicide: In the Western world, males die much more often by means of suicide than do females, although females attempt suicide more often. This pattern has held for at least a century.^[17] Some medical professionals believe this stems from the fact that males are more likely to end their lives through effective violent means (guns, knives, hanging, etc.), while women primarily use more failure-prone methods such as overdosing on medications; again, this has been the case for at least a century.^[18] This article is about the Male sex. ... For other uses, see Female (disambiguation). ... This article is about the video game. ... traditional Norse knife A knife is a sharp-edged hand tool used for cutting. ...

United States suicide rates for white men, by Health Service Area, 1988–1992. This map and the map at right use the same color scale: note the large difference in rates between men and women. The regional patterns for men and women are similar, but not the same. From [13].

United States suicide rates for white women, by Health Service Area, 1988–1992. From [14].

Others ascribe the difference to inherent differences in male/female psychology. Greater social stigma against male depression and a lack of social networks of support and help with depression are often identified as key reasons for men's disproportionately higher level of suicides, since suicide as a "cry for help" is not seen by men as an equally viable option. Typically males die from suicide three to four times more often as females, and not unusually five or more times as often.

Excess male mortality from suicide is also evident from data from non-western countries. In 1979–81, 74 territories reported one or more cases of suicides. Two of these reported equal rates for both sexes: Seychelles and Kenya. Three territories reported female rates exceeding male rates: Papua New Guinea, Macau, French Guiana. The remaining 69 territories had male suicide rates greater than female suicide rates.^[19]

Barraclough found that the female rates of those aged 5–14 equaled or exceeded the male rates only in 14 countries, mainly in South America and Asia.^[20] South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...

National suicide rates sometimes tend to remain 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.^[21] The rates in 1910–14 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.^[22]

Suicides per 100,000 people per year^[23]

Rank	Country	Males	Females	Total	Year
1	Lithuania	70.1	14.0	40.2	2004
2	Belarus	63.3	10.3	35.1	2003
3	Russia	61.6	10.7	34.3	2004
4	Kazakhstan	51.0	8.9	29.2	2003
5	Hungary	44.9	12.0	27.7	2003
6	Guyana	42.5	12.1	27.2	2003
7	South Korea[24][25]	N/A	N/A	26.1	2005
8	Slovenia	37.9	13.9	25.6	2004
9	Latvia	42.9	8.5	24.3	2004
10	Japan	35.6	12.8	24.0	2004

There are considerable differences in national suicide rates among various countries. Findings from two studies showed a range from 0 to more than 40 suicides per 100,000 of population.^[26] Image File history File links Flag_of_Lithuania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belarus. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kazakhstan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Guyana. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovenia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Latvia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ...

National suicide rates, apparently universally, show a long-term upward trend. This trend has been well-documented in European countries.^[27] 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.^[28][29] 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.

Suicides in the U.S. by gender, age, and racial or ethnic group, 1999–2005.

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 Hispanics.^[30] The term white American (often used interchangeably and incorrectly with Caucasian American[2] and within the United States simply white[3]) is an umbrella term that refers to people of European descent residing in the United States. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Hispanic (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ; Latin: , adjective from Hispānia, the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania and its peoples. ...

Age and suicide: In the USA, males over the age of seventy 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 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 Christmas in the northern hemisphere) is a common misconception.^[31] There is also potential risk of suicide in some people experiencing Seasonal affective disorder. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... Northern hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... Light therapy lamp for Seasonal Affective Disorder Seasonal affective disorder, also known as winter depression, is an affective, or mood, disorder. ...

Other reasons

Suicide as a form of defiance and protest

Heroic suicide, for the greater good of others, is often celebrated. For instance, Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike to prevent fighting between Hindus and Muslims, and, although he was stopped before dying, it appeared he would have willingly succumbed to starvation. This attracted attention to Gandhi's cause, and generated a great deal of respect for him as a spiritual leader. In the 1960s, Buddhist monks, most notably Thích Quảng Đức, in South Vietnam drew Western attention to their protests against President Ngô Đình Diệm by burning themselves to death. Also in the 1960s, Quaker Norman Morrison committed suicide by self-immolation to protest the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Similar events were reported during the Cold War in eastern Europe, such as the deaths of Ryszard Siwiec and later of Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc following the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, or Romas Kalanta's self-immolation in the main street of Kaunas, Lithuania 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 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. “Gandhi” redirects here. ... A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... For other uses, see Monk (disambiguation). ... Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108... Occident redirects here. ... Ngô Đình Diệm â–¶(?) «ngoh dihn zih-ehm» (January 3, 1901 – November 2, 1963) was the first President of the Republic of Vietnam (1955–63). ... The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... A Vietnamese tribute to Morrisons suicide Norman Morrison (December 29, 1933 - November 2, 1965), born in Erie, Pennsylvania, was a Baltimore Quaker best known for committing suicide at age 31 in an act of self-immolation to protest the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Eastern Europe is a concept that lacks one precise definition. ... Ryszard Siwiec Ryszard Siwiec self-immolating Ryszard Siwiec (1909—September 12, 1968) was a Polish accountant and former Home Army soldier who set himself on fire in Warsaw during a national harvest festival on September 8, 1968 at the Stadion DziesiÄ™ciolecia in protest against the Soviet-led invasion of... The memorial to Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc in front of the National Museum Jan Palach (August 11, 1948 – January 19, 1969) was a Czech student who committed suicide by self-immolation as a political protest. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... CCCP redirects here. ... Romas Kalanta (d. ... Location Ethnographic region AukÅ¡taitija County Kaunas County Municipality Geographic coordinate system Number of elderates 11 General Information Capital of Kaunas County Kaunas city municipality Kaunas district municipality Population 361,274 in 2005 (2nd) First mentioned 1361 Granted city rights 1408 Kaunas ( (help· info), approximate English transcription [ˈkəʊ.nÉ™s... Malachi Ritscher (Mark David Ritscher; January 13, 1954 - November 3, 2006) was a musician, recording engineer, and anti-war protester. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Robert Gerard Sands (Irish: [1][2]), commonly known as Bobby Sands, (9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981), was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and member of the UK parliament who died on hunger strike whilst in HM Prison Maze (also known as Long Kesh) for the possession of firearms. ... Terence MacSwiney Terence Joseph MacSwiney (pronounced MacSweeney; Irish name: Traolach Mac Suibhne) (1879 - October 25, 1920) was born in Cork City, County Cork Ireland. ...