Suicide

Lore & Background

Suicide has been influenced by broad existential themes such as religion, honor, and the meaning of life. Most religions disapprove of suicide. During the samurai era in Japan, a form of suicide known as seppuku (harakiri) was respected as a means of making up for failure or as a form of protest. Suicide and attempted suicide, while previously illegal, are no longer so in most Western countries, though it remains a criminal offense in some countries. In the 20th and 21st centuries, suicide has been used on rare occasions as a form of protest; it has also been committed while or after murdering others, a tactic used both militarily and by terrorists.

Reader's Guide

Suicide is a major cause of death worldwide, with significant variation by age, gender, and region. Risk factors include mental disorders, substance abuse, physical illness, and stressful life events such as financial difficulties or relationship problems. Previous suicide attempts greatly increase future risk. Prevention efforts focus on limiting access to lethal means (firearms, drugs, poisons), treating mental disorders and substance abuse, careful media reporting, improving economic conditions, and psychotherapies such as dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Crisis hotlines are common but their effectiveness is not well studied. Non-fatal suicide attempts number 10 to 20 million annually and can lead to injury and long-term disabilities. Views on suicide are shaped by cultural, religious, and legal contexts, and language around suicide has shifted toward destigmatizing terms such as 'died by suicide' rather than 'committed suicide.'

Did You Know?

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• Autistic people are about three times as likely as non-autistic people to attempt suicide.
• The most commonly adopted method of suicide varies from country to country and is partly related to the availability of effective means.