Suicidology
Suicide |
---|
Suicidology is the scientific study of
Short history
Most suicidologists think about the history of suicide in terms of courts, church, press, morals, and society. In Ancient Greece, there were several opinions about suicide. It was tolerated and even lauded when committed by patricians (generals and philosophers) but condemned if committed by plebeians (common people) or slaves. In Rome, suicide was viewed rather neutrally, even positively because life was held cheaply.[clarification needed] During early Christianity, excessive martyrdom and a penchant toward suicide frightened church elders sufficiently for them to introduce a serious deterrent. Suicide was thought of as a crime because it precluded possibility of repentance, and it violated the sixth commandment which is Thou shall not kill. During this time, St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized that suicide was a mortal sin because it disrupted God's power over man's life and death. This belief took hold and for hundreds of years thereafter played an important part in the Western view of suicide. Over the last 200 years, the main focus of interventions to prevent suicide has moved from appeals to religious beliefs (which do not always motivate people in contemporary society, which is more secular) to effort at understanding, and preventing the psychological and social influences that lead to suicide.[3]
Parts of study
There are many points of study within suicidology. Suicidology studies not only death by suicide and attempted suicide but also partial self-destruction,
Possible attributes of a suicide note |
---|
A need to control and direct |
A plea for forgiveness |
An absolution |
Ambivalence and uncertainty |
Poignant despair |
Remorse and regret |
Being a savior/being saved |
Altruism |
Lack of pleasure |
Self-criticism[4] |
Contributors
One of the first to contribute to the study of suicidology is
In David J. Mayo's definition there were four elements to suicide:
- A suicide has taken place only if a death has occurred.
- The death must be of one's own doing.
- The agency of suicide can be active or passive.
- It implies intentionally ending one's own life.
Sigmund Freud and Karl Menninger had similar views on suicide. Their definition of suicide had three different aspects. One was a murder involving hatred or the wish to kill. The second one was a murder by the self often involving guilt or the wish to be killed. The last one is the wish to die. They thought of suicide being a murderous death wish that was turned back upon one's own self. Freud also believed that we had two opposing basic instincts—life (eros) and death (thanatos)—and all instincts sought tension reduction. He also believed that suicide is more likely in advanced civilizations requiring greater repression of sexual and aggressive energy. Jean Baechler's definition of suicide was that suicide denotes all behavior that seeks and finds the solution to an existential problem by making an attempt on the life of the subject. Another worker in the field of suicidology was Joseph H. Davis. The definition he gave for suicide is a fatal willful self-inflicted life-threatening act without apparent desire to live; implicit are two basic components lethality and intent. Albert Camus also did some work in this field. He believed that whether one can live or chooses to live is the only truly serious philosophical problem. He also claimed that man created a god in order to be able to live without a wish to kill himself and that the only human liberty is to come to terms with death. He introduced Darwinian thought into his teachings.[1]
See also
- American Association of Suicidology
- Depression (mood)
- Epidemiology of depression
- Epidemiology of suicide
- Euthanasia
- Gender differences in suicide
- List of countries by suicide rate
- List of suicides
- Major depressive disorder
- Mental health first aid
- Mood disorder
- Philosophy of suicide
- Prevalence of mental disorders
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Suicide attempt
- Suicide crisis
- Suicide prevention
References
- ^ a b c d Maris, Berman, Silverman, Ronald, Alan, Mortan (2000). Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology. New York: The Guilford Press. p. 3.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Suicide prevention (SUPRE)". WHO. Archived from the original on July 1, 2004. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ Shneidman, Edwin (2001). Comprehending Suicide Landmarks in 20th-Century Suicidology. 750 First Street, NE Washington DC 20002: American Psychological Association. pp. 5–15.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ISBN 978-0-19-517273-7.
- Edwin Shneidman
- Emile Durkheim
External links
- Samaritans Suicide info
- The Irish Association of Suicidology
- The National Suicide Research Foundation of Ireland
- The American Association of Suicidology
Journals related to suicidology