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Chapter 15 - Suicide and Self Harm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2024

By
George Stein
Edited by
David Kingdon ,
Paul Rowlands  and
George Stein
David Kingdon
Affiliation:
University of Southampton
Paul Rowlands
Affiliation:
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS foundation Trust
George Stein
Affiliation:
Emeritus of the Princess Royal University Hospital
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Summary

The suicides of important kings are recorded in the Bible, and the chapter starts with an overview of the history of suicide. It then covers suicide verdicts, international suicide rates and methods, then the epidemiology of suicide is reviewed. This includes the effect of marital status, the elderly and the young, mental illness, the emotions of hopelessness and shame, as well as suicide in major mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Economic influences such as poverty, occupation and unemployment, as well as worldwide financial crashes are covered. Can anything reduce the rates? Does religion help prevent suicide? Does suicide prevention and risk assessment help, or is this still just ’a work in progress’? Self harm has reached almost epidemic numbers in most parts of the world. The aetiology and why this should be is covered as well as what the later risk of completed suicides is.

Keywords

suicideself harmnonsuicidal self injurysuicide in mental illnesssuicide epidemiologysuicide assessmentsuicide Preventionconfidential enquiry
Type
Chapter
Information
Seminars in General Adult Psychiatry , pp. 654 - 687
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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