Suicide is the act of intentionally and independently taking one’s own life. This tragic act is often associated with deep emotional pain and suffering that a person experiences. Suicide is regarded as deviant behavior in many societies and raises serious concern in healthcare and public health.
Edwin Shneidman, an American suicidologist, highlights the psychological aspect of suicide, emphasizing that this dramatic event primarily occurs within a person’s inner world. His research focuses on understanding the psychological factors underlying suicide. He notes that suicide is often associated with acute mental suffering caused by disappointment and frustration, as well as the inability to satisfy psychological needs.
E. Shneidman uses the method of psychological autopsy to analyze cases of suicide, examining the feelings and experiences of the person who died by suicide. His work helped establish that suicide is often an act of autoaggression, that is, self-directed harm arising from deep psychological pain.
It is important to note that the approach to understanding suicide may vary depending on the context and the type of suicide. Ritual and terrorist suicides may have different motives and explanations. Understanding the psychological aspects of suicide helps develop effective measures to prevent this tragic phenomenon and to provide help to people in crisis situations.
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