The Oxford Texbook of Suicidology is the most comprehensive textbook on suicidology and suicide prevention that has ever been published. It is written by world-leading specialists and describes all aspects of suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention, including psychological, cultural, biological, and sociological factors.
Suicide is one of the most personal yet one of the most complex acts anyone can perform and it continues to be a major global public health problem with an estimated 800,000 deaths annually. Suicide prevention is an important target in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, which aims to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third. Suicide is a global problem, but what differences are there is the challenges faced and the solutions found regionally? Written by leading experts, the nine chapters of this volume provide a clear outline of the major milestones and achievements that have been reached so far in six different geographical regions according to data collated by IASP and the WHO. Recent progress in the development and implementation of national suicide prevention programs in different countries is also explored. In two concluding chapters, the evidence base and best practice of suicide prevention programs are reviewed as well as a look at the future directions for suicide prevention at the global level. This is essential reading for all those involved in suicide research and prevention as well as public health policy and epidemiology who want to keep up-to-date with the latest global developments.
Somewhere in the world, in the next forty seconds, a person is going to commit suicide. Globally, suicides account for 50 percent of all violent deaths among men and 71 percent for women. Despite suicide prevention programs, therapy, and pharmacological treatments, the suicide rate is either increasing or remaining high around the world. Media and Suicide holds traditional and emergent media accountable for influencing an individual’s decision to commit suicide. Global experts present research, historical analysis, theoretical disputes (including discussion on the Werther and Papageno effects), and policy regarding the media’s impact on suicide. They answer questions about the effects of different types of media and storytelling, show how the impact of social media can be diminished, discuss internet bullying, mass-shootings and mass-suicides, show the effects of recovery stories, and much more. The editors also present examples of suicide policy in the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Hong Kong on how to best communicate reporting guidelines to decrease the copycat effect, especially in less developed nations where most of the world’s nearly one million suicides occur each year. Although there is much work to be done to prevent media-influenced suicide, this innovative volume will contribute a large piece to this complex puzzle.
Suicide is the cause of death for nearly one million people per year. Death by suicide is often reported as being due to other causes to avoid stigmatization and other negative consequences of suicide for the family. It can, therefore, be assumed that the number of people who commit suicide is in actuality much higher than the given number. Attempts at suicide, estimated to be ten times more frequent than completed suicide, often cause permanent impairment and disability. The loss of life caused by suicide presents a significant loss for the communities in which it occurs socially, economically and by blocking progress towards the creation of a civic society. This book brings together current knowledge about suicide, its causes and its prevention, which is a useful tool for public health efforts and for clinicians daily work. The present volume focuses on assessing risk and treating suicidal patients.
Part of the authoritative Oxford Textbooks in Psychiatry series, the new edition of the Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention remains a key text in the field of suicidology, fully updated with new chapters devoted to major psychiatric disorders and their relation to suicide.
This book addresses key historical, scientific, legal, and philosophical issues surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide in the United States as well as in other countries and cultures. Euthanasia was practiced by Greek physicians as early as 500 BC. In the 20th century, legal and ethical controversies surrounding assisted dying exploded. Many religions and medical organizations led the way in opposition, citing the incompatibility of assisted dying with various religious traditions and with the obligations of medical personnel toward their patients. Today, these practices remain highly controversial both in the United States and around the world. Comprising contributions from an international group of experts, this book thoroughly investigates euthanasia and assisted suicide from an interdisciplinary and global perspective. It presents the ethical arguments for and against assisted dying; highlights how assisted dying is perceived in various cultural and philosophical traditions—for example, South and East Asian cultures, Latin American perspectives, and religions including Islam and Christianity; and considers how assisted dying has both shaped and been shaped by the emergence of professionalized bioethics. Readers will also learn about the most controversial issues related to assisted dying, such as pediatric euthanasia, assisted dying for organ transplantation, and "suicide tourism," and examine concerns relating to assisted dying for racial minorities, children, and the disabled.
Every year, about 30,000 people die by suicide in the U.S., and some 650,000 receive emergency treatment after a suicide attempt. Often, those most at risk are the least able to access professional help. Reducing Suicide provides a blueprint for addressing this tragic and costly problem: how we can build an appropriate infrastructure, conduct needed research, and improve our ability to recognize suicide risk and effectively intervene. Rich in data, the book also strikes an intensely personal chord, featuring compelling quotes about people's experience with suicide. The book explores the factors that raise a person's risk of suicide: psychological and biological factors including substance abuse, the link between childhood trauma and later suicide, and the impact of family life, economic status, religion, and other social and cultural conditions. The authors review the effectiveness of existing interventions, including mental health practitioners' ability to assess suicide risk among patients. They present lessons learned from the Air Force suicide prevention program and other prevention initiatives. And they identify barriers to effective research and treatment. This new volume will be of special interest to policy makers, administrators, researchers, practitioners, and journalists working in the field of mental health.
Suicide is a leading cause of death globally and the second biggest cause of death in young people. Over 800,000 people commit suicide annually. While many approaches to suicide prevention have been proposed, the only ones to show even limited success are those at the grassroots level; involving everyone, from parents to teachers, health care providers and the community as a whole. This book explores both current and outdated perceptions of suicide and presents a number of novel approaches and tools to prevent suicide.