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. The latter argument is proposed by proponents of euthanasia. Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individuals emotional and psychological well-being. ... For the program to kill people with disabilities in Nazi Germany, see Action T4. ...

Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... As a suicide prevention initiative, this sign on the Golden Gate Bridge promotes a special telephone that connects to a crisis hotline. ... The routine assessment of suicide risk is an important clinical skill. ... Various suicide prevention strategies have been used: Promoting mental resilience through optimism and connectedness. ... Suicide watch is an intensive monitoring process used to ensure that an individual does not commit suicide. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Depression, or a depressed mood, may in everyday English refer to a state of melancholia, unhappiness or sadness, or to a relatively minor downturn in mood that may last only a few hours or days. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Teenage suicide is the self-killing of a teenager. ... A suicide pact describes the suicides of two or more individuals in an agreed-upon plan. ... An Internet suicide is a suicide pact made between individuals who meet on the Internet. ... 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. ... For the program to kill people with disabilities in Nazi Germany, see Action T4. ... A murder suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons immediately before, or while killing himself. ... Ritual suicide is the act of suicide motivated by a religious, spiritual, or traditional ritual. ... Cult suicide is that phenomenon by which some religious groups, in this context often referred to as cults, have led to their membership committing suicide. ... 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 suicide attack is an attack in which the attacker (attacker being either an individual or a group) intends to kill others and intends to die in the process of doing so (see suicide). ... 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. ... 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. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kurt Cobains alleged suicide note. ... Suicide has been part of the history of the world - people of all walks of life had committed suicide over the years. ... // The following are lists of notable people who have definitely died intentionally by their own hand, regardless of the circumstances. ... 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. ...

Suicidal thoughts as a medical emergency

Psychiatric emergency

Modern medicine considers severe suicidal thoughts to be a medical emergency. Mental health practitioners consistently advise suicidal people to seek help. This is especially true if the means (weapons, drugs, or other methods) are available, or if a detailed plan is in place. A medical emergency is an injury or illness that poses an immediate threat to a persons health or life which requires help from a doctor or hospital. ...

Current medical advice is that people who are seriously considering suicide should go to the nearest emergency room, or call the emergency services. Severe suicidal ideation, according to this advice, is a condition that requires immediate emergency medical treatment. When depression is a major factor, successful treatment of that usually leads to the disappearance of suicidal thoughts. However, medical treatment of depression is not always successful, and lifelong depression can contribute to recurring suicide attempts. The emergency room is the American English term for a room, or group of rooms, within a hospital that is designed for the treatment of urgent and medical emergencies. ... Emergency services are services that deal with emergencies and other aspects of Public Safety. ... 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. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or sometimes unipolar when compared with bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ...

First aid

Mental health practitioners (MHPs) suggest that people who know a person whom they suspect to be suicidal can assist him or her by asking directly if the person has contemplated committing suicide and made specific arrangements, has set a date, etc. Posing such a question does not render a previously non-suicidal person suicidal^{[citation needed]}. According to this advice, the person questioning should seek to be understanding and sympathetic above all else since a suicidal person will often already feel ashamed or guilty about contemplating suicide so care should be taken not to exacerbate that guilt. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

MHPs suggest that an affirmative response to these questions should motivate the immediate seeking of medical attention, either from that person's doctor, or, if unavailable, the emergency room of the nearest hospital. The emergency room is the American English term for a room, or group of rooms, within a hospital that is designed for the treatment of urgent and medical emergencies. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ...

If the prior interventions fail, MHPs suggest involving law enforcement officers. While the police do not always have the authority to stop the suicide attempt itself, in some countries including some jurisdictions in the US, killing oneself is illegal. See: Intervention (counseling) - an orchestrated attempt by family and friends to get a family member to get help for addiction or other similar problem. ... For the band, see The Police. ...

In most cases law enforcement does have the authority to have people involuntarily committed to mental health wards. Usually a court order is required, but if an officer feels the person is in immediate danger she can order an involuntary commitment without waiting for a court order. Such commitments are for a limited period, such as 72 hours – which is intended to be enough time for a doctor to see the person and make an evaluation. After this initial period, a hearing is held in which a judge can decide to order the person released or can extend the treatment time. Afterwards, the court is kept informed of the person's condition and can release the person when they feel the time is right to do so. Legal punishment for suicide attempts is extremely rare^{[citation needed]}. A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... A court order is an official proclamation by a judge (or panel of judges) that defines the legal relationships between the parties before the court and requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case. ...

Mental health treatment

Treatment, often including medication and psychtherapy, is directed at the underlying causes of suicidal thinking. Clinical depression is the most common treatable cause, with alcohol or drug abuse being the next major categories^{[citation needed]}. Oral medication A medication is a licenced drug taken to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical condition. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or sometimes unipolar when compared with bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ...

Other psychiatric disorders associated with suicidal thinking include bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Borderline personality disorder, Gender identity disorder and eating disorders. Suicidal thoughts provoked by crises will generally settle with time and counseling. Severe depression can continue throughout life even with treatment and repetitive suicide attempts or suicidal ideation can be the result. The Scream, the famous painting commonly thought of as depicting the experience of mental illness. ... It has been suggested that Creativity and bipolar disorder be merged into this article or section. ... Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined within psychiatry and related psychological fields as a disorder characterized primarily by emotional dysregulation, extreme black and white thinking, or splitting (believing that something is one of only two possible things, and ignoring any possible in-betweens), and turbulent relationships. ... Gender identity disorder, as identified by psychologists and medical doctors, is a condition in which a person has been assigned one gender (usually at birth on the basis of their sex, but compare intersexuality), but identifies as belonging to another gender, or does not conform with the gender role their... // Psychotherapy is a range of techniques based on dialogue, communication and behavior change and which are designed to improve the mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family). ...

Methods for disrupting suicidal thinking include having family members or friends tell the person contemplating suicide about who else would be hurt by the loss, citing valuable and productive aspects of the patient's life, and provoking simple curiosity about the victim's own future^{[citation needed]}.

During the acute phase, the safety of the person is one of the prime factors considered by doctors, and this can lead to admission to a psychiatric ward or even involuntary commitment. A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... Involuntary commitment is the practice of using legal means or forms as part of a mental health law to commit a person to a mental hospital, insane asylum or psychiatric ward without their informed consent, against their will or over their protests. ...

According to a 2005 randomized controlled trial by Gregory Brown, Aaron Beck and others, cognitive therapy can reduce repeat suicide attempts by 50%.^[1] 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a form of clinical trial, or scientific procedure used in the testing of the efficacy of medicines or medical procedures. ... Aaron T. Beck, M.D. (born 1921), The Father of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, is a professor at the Psychopathology Research Unit of the University of Pennsylvania. ... Cognitive therapy or cognitive behaviour therapy is a kind of psychotherapy used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, and other forms of mental disorder. ...

Suicide prevention

Main article: Suicide prevention

Various suicide prevention strategies are suggested by Mental Health professionals^{[citation needed]}: Various suicide prevention strategies have been used: Promoting mental resilience through optimism and connectedness. ... Various suicide prevention strategies have been used: Promoting mental resilience through optimism and connectedness. ...

• Promoting mental resilience through optimism and connectedness.
• Education about suicide, including risk factors, warning signs, and the availability of help.
• Increasing the proficiency of health and welfare services in responding to people in need. This includes better training for health professionals and employing crisis counseling organizations.
• Reducing domestic violence and substance abuse are long-term strategies to reduce many mental health problems.
• Reducing access to convenient means of suicide (e.g., toxic substances, handguns).
• Reducing the quantity of dosages supplied in packages of non-prescription medicines e.g., aspirin.
• Interventions targeted at high-risk groups.

Optimists see the world as a positive place Optimism, the opposite of pessimism, exemplifies a lifeview where one looks upon the world as a positive place. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a psychoactive leading to effects that are detrimental to the individuals physical health or mental health, or the welfare of others. ... A handgun is a firearm small enough to be carried and used in one hand. ... Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid (acetosal) is a drug in the family of salicylates, often used as an analgesic (against minor pains and aches), antipyretic (against fever), and anti-inflammatory. ...

Research on suicide prevention

Research into suicide is published across a wide spectrum of journals dedicated to the biological, economic, psychological, medical and social sciences. In addition to those, a few journals are exclusively devoted to the study of suicide (suicidology), most notably, Crisis, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, and the Archives of Suicide Research. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to funding research on suicide and its prevention. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) was founded in 1987 by a group of experts on suicide who wanted to create a 501(c)3 organization to fund research in suicide prevention. ...

References

1. ^ Cognitive Therapy for the Prevention of Suicide Attempts, Brown, G.K., Have, T.T., Henriques, G.R., Xie, S.X., Hollander, J.E., Beck, A.T., Journal of the American Medical Association, 2005