The dataset selected for this assignment is Health expenditure and suicide rates [2000-2019] by Fernando Retamales. The authors goal is to promote awareness of preventable death causes by showing the correlation between suicides and countries average costs of healthcare services (Retamales, 2022). It contains annual statistics for nations that provided their information to the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding mental and physical health payments per citizen, alongside the number of deaths by self-harm per 100,000 citizens.
The dataset can be used by governments in policymaking processes and by healthcare providers in creating accessible options for patients who are at risk of taking their lives. It can also serve as a basis for scientific research that studies depression, suicides, and overall happiness in different populations. Trends that are apparent in the dataset can be used in a statistical analysis of efficient prevention strategies. However, this large table may require additional manipulations to become a viable source of evidence for a particular country. For example, a nation must compare health expenditures per person with their costs and average salaries. It might be challenging to evaluate the impact of depression without knowing its causes, making it essential for scientists to incorporate outside sources into a study that is based on the authors work.
There is a need to expand the list of parameters in the table to receive a clear picture of the situation within each community. Organizations can utilize this dataset for the proposed purposes by adding information from other sources to complement the statistics with different socioeconomic and health-related parameters. In conclusion, the dataset regarding health expenditures and their correlation to suicide rates provides an apparent link between these two arguments, although it cannot be viewed as a complete tool for policymaking purposes.
This case involves the sudden suicide of a young girl in an Australian school. Among the parties affected are school staff, friends, teachers, students and parents. They have many questions regarding why a young girl with a wonderful future would end up ending her life?
They also feel great stress and need support from a therapist who is able to help them cope with this situation and their negative emotions as the role of emotion in self-preservation is a central theme for all the survivors of complex trauma (Wastell, 2005).
As such, the needs of each individual should be addressed carefully, as well as the needs of the community as the whole. The school community involving all the parties mentioned above is the main client to this case study.
The school staff is devastated by the fact that they may live to see anothers loss. It should be noted that they take care of the students and what happened to Anne could actually happen to another student. There is going to be lack of trust, especially from parents.
When a child is in high school, the community believes that the parents pay school fees, and the teachers are the source of knowledge, and the staff members babysit the students, yet with such a fine system a child ends up committing suicide.
Moreover, the problems Anne went through were not addressed by the staff so the community will ultimately attack them, thus the staff will have to be more careful, next time they will need to have a watchful eye on the students. They should also interact socially so that a child suffering from a problem can entrust it to somebody so close to them like the janitor, unlike teachers who may exhibit fear, school staff does not.
The teachers also have a very big burden, being the main providers of knowledge, the society expects them to understand psychological needs of the students. They should be able to read into a childs mind and tell what he or she is going through.
On the same note, they should be in a position to talk to the child and when they cannot handle the problem they forward the student to the school canceller who may take away the childs burden. A student spends most of his/her time with the teacher not the parent and the staff, so its upon the teacher to take extra cushion in regard to what goes on in the mind of a student.
Friends are the people closest to us and if they cannot tell when we are experiencing depression and stress then who can? Thus they are also to be blamed when a person decides to commit suicide. Whereas it takes long for an experienced shrink to get to know the secrets of a patient, a friend lives everyday experiencing these secret truths.
In case of Anne, she had informed those closest to her that she needed time alone, if only one of the friends intervened by either talking to her or reporting the matter to somebody else, this childs life would probably have been saved.
Considering other students: desk mates, team mates, locker mates, Anne was with them all through; when she was developing acne they were there, when she missed classes or team practice they noted yet they didnt do much. It is the responsibility of every party in a school to know what goes on with their mates or neighbors.
The parents are responsible for their kids, they bring them to the world and they are the same people who pay for the school fees. When a child dies they mourn, even though everybody else in the community joins in, the hit is more direct to them than any other party.
So the question is, where were the parents when Anne was taking a break from home and from school? They should have investigated, sat her down and probably Anne would still be breathing today.
Every party involved deserves to know about this death and everybody should blame themselves for the loss of a member of the society. More emphasis should be put on the psychological incidence that led to a young girl not to communicate with parents or friends, but rather chose to end the pain and end herself with it.
At the same time, everybody should ask themselves, what if there is another Anne out there who has not yet committed suicide but is going through the same problems.
Its important to evaluate the community in both individual and community needs and the best method I would use is first of all identifying the community and individual objectives.
Mainly students objectives would be to pass exams and gain knowledge, the parents objectives would be to make their sons and daughters responsible members of the society, and they would aim at making their kids better than themselves. Teachers, on the other hand, would work at improving the discipline and knowledge as well as understanding to the students.
Best people to assist me in this would include youths and the students, because this is the generation that highly suffers from chronic suicide. However, in order to achieve stable results, sampling would be done using proper criterion so that everybody is properly and completely represented.
People carrying out the research would have to be trained on the following areas: how to handle the respondents, they must be aware that not everybody responds positively, they have to be patient with the respondents and must not be involved in directing the respondents answers to various topics.
Of course, this will go hand in hand with the selection of the people to carry out the research. People involved in community should not be part of the group. Furthermore, the group carrying out interviews must learn the art of reading minds as mostly in interviews people do not always respond truthfully, they sometimes exaggerate. They must be also trained on whom to pass the questionnaires to.
When it comes to public meetings administrators will have to be involved so that they may make the community aware of the seriousness of the meeting and the need for such a gathering all in the name of eradicating social evils.
A traumatized society presents a million challenges, while for the victim pain and suffering end with death, for the loved ones left behind they are just beginning. These surviving family, friend, and co-workers can be referred as co-victims (Herman 1999) When a child commits suicide the society comes up with all sorts of blame. The blame game is directed on all members of the society.
According to Herman (1999), in our society, it is common for the sorrow that follows death to be hidden behind the closed doors of the family unit or as memories within a persons mind . The community members point fingers to each other. Among the most prevalent problems are denial, lack of response, financial challenges and hopelessness.
Denial is a situation of not taking responsibility and not accepting the present problem; for instance it would take time for teachers to feel that they played a role in making a young girl go to an extent of committing the worst crime anybody can do.
According to them, she was responsible for her own life, but was she? Being a minor she was under the societys care. Even when public meetings are held and such sentiments are presented they would still meet a very strong resistance.
A traumatized society tends to live in the past. The members just focus on better times that had been there before the current events occurred, for instance, when Nagasaki in Japan was bombed, the people were not quick to going back to their duties.
We get a situation where elders of the society talk of a time when no child would think of committing suicide. Avoiding the traumatic memories leads to stagnation in the recovery process, while approaching them too precipitately leads to a fruitless and damaging reliving of the trauma (Heman, 1999).
When the teens hear of such talks, they feel like they are the ones to be blamed for all current society evils, it thus becomes so hard to convince the people to forget the past and think of a better tomorrow.
It should also be noted that people under trauma mostly dont respond and when they do, negative responses are more prevalent. There are cases where people have tore questionnaires and other cases a public meeting has been held only to have the hosts attend.
But the biggest challenge is to bring about the idea that there is hope, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. People are not ready to believe in this when a young girl commits suicide. In such a situation, the therapist plays a role of a witness and ally, in whose presence the survivor can speak of the unspeakable (Herman 1999).
Peoples age, culture and religion are significant factors in dealing with healing of a society. The fact that Anne committed suicide should not be blamed on her age, religion or social status; the point is that something went wrong, the members of the society did not do their work, and Anne was also to be blamed as she did not open up.
Annes family should understand that it was not their fault that their daughter or sibling decided to commit the suicide. They should rather focus on a future and hope no other is forced by circumstances to make the same choice as Anne. The therapist plays a role of a witness and ally, in whose presence the survivor can speak of the unspeakable (Herman 1999).
Memorials in the school should be held every year to remember what happened to Anne. Anne was good in class she had people who loved her and team mates who cared for her, her life is worth remembering. Suicide should not be judged on her.
The main long-term goal for all this is to prevent the occurrence of teenage suicide and more so to make the society aware of its youths problems because at the end of it, we are all affected. What is more important at the time just after the suicide committed is to help other students, teachers and parent to get over it .
In this case, goal-setting should be concrete and reassuring method of stress reduction during a chaotic aftermath of a sudden death (Clements, DeRanieri, Vigil & Benasutti 2004). The therapist should guide the clients along the way of adaptive coping .
It is important to know that this early stage is the most painful and the therapist should be very careful and attentive to each client.
What is important for the therapist it to make sure that none of the survivors is left behind and feels lonely. The therapist should provide support at any type. As the therapy continues, the therapist should encourage survivors to share their needs and accept help form other supporters.
Reference List
Clement, PT, DeRanieri, JT, Vigil, GJ, Benasutti, M, 2004, Life after Death: Grief Therapy after the Suddden Traumatic Death of a Family Member, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, Vol. 40, No. 4. pp. 149-154.
Herman, T, 1999, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of ViolenceFrom Domestic Abuse to Political Terror, Basic Books, London.
Wastell, C., 2005, Understanding Trauma and Emotion in The Trauma Therapist and Their Emotions, Allen and Unwind, Sydney.
Emile Durkheim was a prominent French sociologist of the 19th and early 20th century. He conducted a research about suicide in with aim of formally establishing Sociology as one of the social sciences (Simpson, 2002). Together with other like-minded individuals including Max Weber and Karl Max, they are acknowledged as pioneers of Sociology as a discipline in modern social science.
Durkheim published several works touching on how the society could be ordered in the modern age by living in harmony and upholding integrity (Durkheim & Buss, 2006). Most sociologists of his time were concerned with understanding the changing society where the social and religious practices of the past were being eroded by modernization.
Although Durkheim conducted several studies and wrote on many topics in the field of sociology, this essay will discuss his views about suicide. It will explain the differences between anomic, altruistic and egoistic, as well as fatalistic suicide.
View about Suicide
In 1897, Durkheim published the findings of his study in the Suicide which is still a favorite reference for modern day sociologists. He was known as a fierce critique of the approaches use by sociologists. According to him, sociologists should use sociological data that examines the rates of given behavior instead of psychological data (Simpson, 2002).
Determined to establish sociology as a social science, he used various data which had been collected for administrative purposes to scientifically analyze the suicide rates among Protestants and Catholics. The decision to use the already existing data to analyze rates of behavior was aimed at established the concept of social fact; that all social phenomena exist in and of themselves and are not determined by activities of individuals (Simpson, 2002).
Durkheim argued that religion plays a significant role in the community and influenced the behavior of the members of a given society. He posed a number of questions concerning suicide: Why do commit suicide? What goes wrong? Why are the rates varying across places? He said that understanding suicide is the key to understanding how individuals relate to society.
He concluded from the findings of his study that there were lower rates of suicide among the Catholics due to the firm grip and control this religion had on the community. He argued that people have a tendency of wanting to belong to a given group, a term the he refers to as social integration (Durkheim & Buss, 2006).
Furthermore, Durkheim pointed out that excessively high or low levels of association among members of the society were responsible for increased suicide rates. The explanation for this claim is that low levels of attachment in groups cause disorderliness in the society and in turn the chaotic state pushes individuals to commit suicide as an escape option.
According to Durkheim, a high sense of attachment in the society gives people a notion of being a burden on others and hence develop high suicidal tendencies to avoid being too much of a burden to the society (Simpson, 2002). In explaining the differing rates of suicide, he noted that normal levels of association are to be found among the Catholics while the Protestants have quite low levels social integration.
After investigating the differing rates of suicide in the society, Durkheim coined a definition of suicide as including all cases of death occurring either directly or indirectly as a result of a desirable or undesirable act of the victim himself, which he is aware that it will produce this particular result (Simpson, 2002).
In his study of suicide rates, he considered religious affiliations, economic status, marital status, as well as civilian or military status as independent variables. This means that he believed these variables explained the varying suicide rates (Lukes, 2001). In his thinking, Durkheim was convinced that being either Catholic or Protestant determine the probability of committing suicide.
The same hypotheses were made in the case of other variables. That suicide rates depends on whether one is single or married, either a soldier or a civilian, and whether one is poor or financially stable.
Anomic, Altruistic, Egoistic, and Fatalistic Suicide
As already mention, when Durkheim analyzed the secondary data, he found that suicide rates were higher among Protestants compared to Catholics and Jews (Pickering & Walford, 2000).
Catholics, on the other hand, were more likely to commit suicide than Jews. It also emerged that single people were likely to commit suicide than married people especially those with children. Soldiers, especially officers recorded higher rates of suicide than ordinary citizens. Suicide rates were found to increase in times economic difficulties and booms and decreased during periods of financial stability.
The above findings were established by Durkheim after brilliant analysis of the collected data. It was after further analysis that he identified four outstanding suicide patterns among people. The four different patterns include anomic, altruistic, egoistic, and fatalistic suicide. According to Durkheim, egoistic suicide is pattern of suicide that is usually committed by individuals who are not closely associated with an established group known to support its members in times of need (Pickering & Walford, 2000).
Being outsiders, they are forced to rely on their own motivation with no group goals or guiding principles in the course of their lives. These people have been known to develop a strong feeling of isolation and neglect especially during stressful moments or situations.
Altruistic suicide, on the other hand, is a form of suicide that is common people who are strict adherents of group norms and set objectives (Emirbayer, 2003). They have lower regard for their own lives and would commit suicide for the sake of a group cause. The third pattern of suicide, anomic suicide, has been found to be common among people living in a society faced by crisis and dramatic changes (Lukes, 2001).
These occasions are associated with breakdown or weakening of traditional societal norms resulting in a state of normlessness. Individuals may see life as meaningless and hence commit suicide. Contrary to anomic suicide is the fourth pattern known as fatalistic suicide pattern. It occurs in situations where people are subjected to oppressive experiences characterized by stringent rules for maintaining a certain order in the society.
This pattern was common during dictatorial regimes and slavery. In conclusion, Durkheim contributed a significant sociological perspective of understanding how societal forces influence suicide rates (Lukes, 2001). His suicide theory complements the psychological perspective of understanding suicide.
References
Durkheim, E., & Buss, R. (2006). On suicide. New York, NY: Penguin
Emirbayer, M. (2003). Emile Durkheim: sociologist of modernity. New Jersey, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell
Lukes, S. (2001). Emile Durkheim, his life and work: a historical and critical study. California, CA: Stanford University Press
Pickering, W. F., & Walford, G. (2000). Durkheims suicide: a century of research and debate. New York, NY: Routledge
Simpson, G. (2002). Suicide: a study in sociology (5th ed). New York, NY: Routledge
On May 12, 2003 three separate teams of terrorists carried out suicide bomb attacks on the Dorrat Al Jadawel compound, the Al Hamra Oasis Village and the Vinnel Corporation Compound all of which were located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Their actions resulted in the deaths of 35 people with well over 160 others injured in the process (The world this week, 2003). It was an attack that was unprecedented in the history of Saudi Arabia since it was ideological in nature and was aimed specifically at foreign nationals (The world this week, 2003).
When examining the various aspects of this case the most interesting facet is the motivation behind the actions of the suicide bombers. As seen in the recorded wills that were made shortly before they carried out their suicide attacks, one interconnecting theme between all of the bombers is their assumption that what they do is for the greater good in that through their actions they would rescue and defend their fellow Arabs from the unjust incursions of foreign powers on both the land and culture of the Arab people.
In fact various studies which have examined the psychological underpinnings of suicide bombings have shown that most if not all of the participants involved dont view the potentially dozens of people they may kill as a sin rather for them it is an act of devotion towards the precepts of Islam (Cooper, 2008).
When taking such factors into consideration it is thus important to examine the reactions of the general public towards the actions of the suicide bombers. The reason behind this is quite simple, if the suicide bombers are doing this for the people as they say then it is important to understand the whether the general public has a positive or negative reaction towards such violent actions which are supposedly for their sake.
Objectives
The objective of this report is to investigate the following:
1.) Discern the general impression the selected respondents have on the suicide bombing incidents in Riyadh.
2.) Determine whether the respondents would be more inclined towards thinking of terrorism in a positive way if it were to occur in another country.
3.) Examine the general impression the respondents have on foreign interests within Saudi Arabia.
4.) Analyze the reactions of the respondents towards the decision making process of the suicide bombers.
5.) Determine the current view of the respondents towards the actions of terrorist groups who radicalize certain elements of the Quran in order to justify bombing public areas.
6.) Examine the general impression the respondents have regarding the possible negative ramifications of correlated to Islam as a direct result of the actions of suicide bombers and terrorist groups.
The following questions will also be asked from the respondents:
Do you believe that the suicide bombers are being misinformed by terrorist groups regarding the necessity of violent action in order to achieve their goals?
What do you believe is the primary reason why volunteers would willingly sacrifice their lives? Is it primarily a religious reason or are their social underpinnings regarding their actions?
Do you think that the actions of the Riyadh suicide bombers was justified given the fact that so many innocent people died who had absolutely nothing to do with the U.S. lead invasion of Iraq?
Do you harbor any ill will towards the U.S. is general? Or do you believe that it isnt the American people who are at fault but rather their misguided leadership?
From your point of view, do you believe it is justified to kill dozens of people for the sake of getting a point across?
Hypothesis
The hypothesis of this study is that while the general public within Saudi Arabia dont necessarily like the interference foreign powers (particularly the U.S.) have had on their land, culture and internal affairs most people think that acts of terrorism hinder rather than result in any positive resolution to the issue.
The sub-hypothesis of this study also assumes that the general public within Riyadh thinks the acts of terrorism actually result in global mistrust, apprehension and even vilification of Arabs in general which hinders international efforts towards peaceful relations with other cultures and states.
Framing an Interview Schedule
Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation the questionnaire results will be completely anonymous with the respondents of the study picked randomly within the school campus as well as various members of the local community near the campus or within the proximity of the researchers home. This is done in order to ensure a certain degree of diversity in the answers given.
The questionnaires themselves will be handed on an individual basis with the researcher waiting for each participant to finish completing the questionnaire. After completion each respondent will be assured of the anonymity of their responses and that in no way will their identity be disclosed. This particular interview will be conducted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in order to get the maximum number of respondents for the questionnaire.
Several members of the researchers friends and family will be asked to deliver questionnaires to various individuals that they know. This ensures that the research results will not be biased since the researcher is merely asking them to recruit respondents and not fill out the forms themselves. 10 respondents will be utilized for this particular study.
Data Collection
Response to the Questionnaire
Positive
Negative
Impression on Suicide Bombers
5%
95%
Impression on foreign interference
20%
80%
Impression on the ideology behind suicide attacks
5%
95%
Impression on Terrorist Organizations use of Radical Islam
20%
80%
Affect on the views of other countries on Islam as a result of the bombings
0%
100%
Data Analysis
The data from the respondents show that 95% of the respondents have a generally negative impression regarding the actions of suicide bombers and in fact 100% of them stated that in no way is terrorism justified whether in their country or another due to the loss of innocent life. Of the 5% that had a positive impression regarding the bombings their primary reasoning was connected to their belief that a message needed to be sent.
Further examination of the research results showed that 80% of the respondents had a generally negative impression regarding foreign interference within the internal domestic policies of Saudi Arabia and in fact the 80% regarded foreign interference as one of the main reasons behind the so called corruption of the traditional values within the nation. 20% of the respondents on the other hand a distinctly different impression since they regard western influences as another aspect of the globalization of cultures, business and even governance which people should embrace.
When presented with the question regarding their impression of the decision making processes that influenced the terrorist bombers 95% agreed that the reasoning behind such actions were flawed and that it was merely a result of a radicalized interpretation of the Quran which many within the conservative Islamic state consider to be highly unethical and actually against the precepts established by the Prophet Mohammed.
From their point of view, the bloodshed and grief caused by acts of terrorism can never be truly justified especially when taking into consideration the fact that they are targeting the wrong individuals. On the other hand 5% of the respondents did agree with the actions of the bombers with the justification that the protection of the people justified such actions.
Presented with the question regarding their impression of the use of terrorist groups of radicalized elements of Islam in order to convince people to commit acts of terrorism 80% of the respondents indicated that it was a vehement atrocity against the Quran to twist its words in such a way so as to cause someone to give up their life for a false cause.
On the other hand 20% of the respondents indicated that the men responsible for the suicide bombings should be held accountable for their own actions since they had the ethical responsibility to not commit such atrocities in the first place yet still went through with it.
Not only that, 100% of the respondents are in agreement that the actions of the suicide bombers does cast a negative light on Islam since it creates a connotation between it and the radicalized actions of a few which is being attributed to the many by various countries all over the world which has resulted in a generally negative view against both the practitioners of Islam as well as Arabs in general.
Overall, the results of the study show an overwhelming abhorrence from the respondents regarding the actions of suicide bombers. The primary reason behind this negative reaction is due to the fact that the people they are targeting are often the innocent who never really caused any harm.
Interpretation of Findings
Based on the findings of the investigation it clearly shows that a vast majority of the respondents for this study are clearly against the concept of suicide bombings. Various studies which have examined this particular issue from various angles indicate that the problem lies in the fact that such attacks dont discriminate against the innocent and the guilty and as such results in more problems than solutions.
In fact studies such as those by Witty (2009) indicate that the various suicide attacks that have been occurring within the Middle East have mostly involved the deaths of innocent people which has resulted in public opinion turning against terrorist groups in general due to their non-discriminatory actions (Witty, 2009).
It must also be noted that most people within the Muslim community view the actions of suicide bombers as generally originating from radicalized versions of Islamic text and are in no way in accordance with the primary methods of teaching of Islam.
In fact various Islamic scholars point out that the way in which radical Islam (referring to the type of Islam espoused by people such as blind Sheik and Osama Bin Laden) is in fact so divergent from the original context that it is apparent that it has been warped by terrorist groups for their own purposes (Mohapatra, 2002).
Most of the respondents agree that the interference of foreign powers in the domestic issues of states such as Saudi Arabia is disrespectful of the traditions and indigenous knowledge that are the cornerstones of the Arabic culture however they do acknowledge the fact that to resist all forms connectivity with the outside world is a terrible concept and would result in negative repercussions.
In fact based on the data from the study, a majority of the respondents agree that the actions of suicide bomber actually creates a negative image regarding Islam and makes it that much more difficult to establish positive relationships with other states (Zuhdi, n.d).
Thus, it can be stated that based on the results of the survey most of the respondents dont agree with the actions of the suicide bombers and as such nullifies the argument of the bombers and terrorist groups who say that they are doing this for the people . If the people themselves dont want such actions to be done in the first place, how can it really be said that what they are doing is for the people at all?
Conclusion
The primary and sub hypothesis of this report has been proven to be accurate when it stated that while the general public within Saudi Arabia dont necessarily like the interference foreign powers (particularly the U.S.) have had on their land, culture and internal affairs most people think that acts of terrorism hinder rather than result in any positive resolution to the issue. Not only that, the study has also shown that the resulting image backlash as a direct result of the bombings has in effect adversely affected Islam and the Arabic people.
What must be understood is that while people acknowledge the fact that there are problems they believe that the death of innocents is not the way to go about resolving such issues especially when taking into consideration the fact that the methods utilized are based on an aspect of Islam that is not accepted by mainstream leaders of the Islamic world.
Reference List
Cooper, L. F. (2008). Terrorism and Modernity. New Politics, 12(1), 107.
Mohapatra, A. K. (2002). Radical islam: ideology behind global terrorism. India Quarterly, 58(2), 93.
The world this week. (2003). Economist, 367(8324), 6.
Witty, D. M. (2009). The Last Crusade: Americanism and the Islamic Reformation / Unmodern Men in the Modern World: Radical Islam, Terrorism, and the War on Modernity. Journal Of Military History, 73(2), 693-695.
Zuhdi, J. (n.d). Muslims in the crosshairs. Washington Times, The (DC).
Suicide basically refers to a situation where an individual takes his/her life willingly. This is the last stage after a long period of depression and the victim have not managed to get assistance in order to deal with the environmental stressors. A person contemplates suicide once his/ her mind has been stressed up to a point whereby it cannot bounce back. Suicide cases are very common in a society which is experiencing a social disorganization which touches all the other parts that makes up the complex whole. For instance after 9/11 attack in US many people committed suicide after losing their dear ones in the attack. In such an event people are faced with very catastrophic realities and they are disturbed thereby bringing in a psychological crisis in the society which needs to be dealt with before people start to contemplate suicide.
This essay looks at the various myths that are related to suicide from a critical point of view as well as crisis intervention procedures that needs to be followed when treating a disturbed person and specifically a battered wife. Events that took place on 9/11 attack and their aftermaths will also be discussed in relation to crisis intervention as well as those steps that can be taken in order to make schools safe from local gangs. These topics will be handled under various sub headings one at a time.
Discussion Myths about Suicide
As I had indicated earlier on suicide means the act of killing one self and this act is intentional. Suicide is attributed to various social factors and it is increasingly becoming a problem in the contemporary world. In order to understand and prevent suicide we have to understand a number of myths that are associated with suicide and it is important to note that these myths prevent us from dealing with an individual before he carries out a suicidal act. In addition myths are common misconceptions that are related to suicide. Once we know the actual truth about suicide then we can easily identify people who are at a risk of committing suicide and to provide necessary assistance that is needed.
To begin with many people believe that attempted or completed suicides occur without warning. This is a wrong conclusion because many survivors have stated that they had hidden intention that made them contemplate suicide. Moreover warning signs are always present and may include: previous suicidal attempts, shift in sleeping patterns, depression among others. Another myth states that if an individual suicidal attempt fails, the individual will never make a repetition of the same. This is not true because soon or later the person will carry out a successful suicide. People also believe that suicidal individuals do not communicate their thoughts to other people. These are some of the myths about suicide but there are many others.
When dealing with a family of a suicidal family one is supposed to explain all these myths to them in order to give them a broad knowledge on suicide. For instance, it is important to point out that a suicidal person always shares his thought with people who are very close to him. Therefore the family should be aware of the close friends of the person so that they can know what kind of topics they discuss during their outings. This idea should be emphasized until it sinks into the mind of the family members since they are the one who will be in close contact with the suicidal person.
Treating Battered Woman
Woman battering is a very common form of domestic violence that affects a woman life greatly. Battered women often are very depressed since they cannot easily get out of an abusive marriage. This occurs mostly in a patriarchal society where men are very powerful. Some of the common stressors among battered women include: presence of their children when actual violence takes place, husband drinking behavior, as well as other people who may be the cause of the violence that takes place. A part from being depressed a battered woman is very emotional and has a very unusual sleeping pattern especially when the husband is away. The rave at their children and loose weight very first which can be closely related to their loss of appetite.
While dealing with such a woman it is always wise to sit down with her and let her talk out her experience. In a very quite place I would explain to her the fact that once she was battered there are very high chances of being battered again. Since this explanation may boil up the woman emotions I have to be fully prepared in order to calm her down easily as well as being very kin on non-verbal communication in order to use the most effective means to get the point across. Once the woman is aware of this fact she should then face the monster head on and decide on the next step she should take. The most appropriate action is to stay away from this kind of an environment.
Making the School a Safer Place
A school like any other institution is made up of different individuals who possess different attitudes and values. This diversity can be exploited by students in order to create disunity in school. Teachers and student therefore should be well equipped in order to deal with local gangs which are made up of very few students but they can easily disrupt a school program. Such students like walking in a group which does not join up with others easily especially during breaks in schools. The group is the last one to get back to a class after a short break and is the same group which performs poorly in the exams.
In order to prepare for such crisis the teachers and junior staff have to be well trained. The teachers and the subordinated staff can learn basic skills of handling violent students in a staff meeting. In such a meeting the main aim would be to highlight the common behaviors of the student who make up a local gung in order for the staff to keep an eye on them. This training can take place during a student break in order to make sure all the teachers are available. The students identified have to be taken through an anti violence and anti gang program running for a good number of months (Wendy, 1996). These two programs will enable the student to learn how to appreciate diversity, manage their anger as well as getting involved in mediation and conflict resolutions. These measures should also enhance self esteem among students.
9/11 Crisis
9/11 is one of the blackest days in US history because this is the day when terrorist managed to hit targets inside the US. Many people were traumatized by the events they witnessed on the television and the impact of this terrorist attack is being felt even today. Schmindt et al (2002) points out that terrorist did more than destroy buildings: they scarred the American psyche. Therefore Americans have become more fearful and anxiety builds in them very fast raising serious psychological problems. Psychologists have now been compelled to carry out various researches that will aid in developing a good remedy for the general anxiety disorder that is killing many Americans. Over emphasis of fear related disorders is creating a room for neglecting other people who may have different psychological problem and this is not good for the health of the Americans.
Conclusion
In conclusion it is evident that suicide is carried out by people who intentionally want to terminate their life. Majority of us are not in a position to prevent our friends and neighbors from committing suicide because the myths we have over suicide blurs our thinking capacity and this make it difficult to realize that one of us is on the verge of committing suicide. Women experiencing abuse also fail to take action because of some myths which are grossly wrong. In order to make our schools safe places collaboration between the teaching staff, junior staff and the student is needed in order to facilitate the effectiveness of both the anti violence and anti gang programs in school. Finally the American psyche was torn in to parts by the 9/11 attack and psychologist have to deal will all sorts of psychological related problems in the country.
References
James, R. K. and Gililand, B. (2007): Crisis Intervention Strategies.6th ed. Thomson Wadswoth publishers.
Roberts, A. R. and Roberts B. S. (2005): Ending Intimate Abuse: Practical Guidance and Survival strategies. London, Oxford University Press.
Schmidt, B and Winters J. (2002): Anxiety after 9/11. Psychology Magazine, 2002
Suicide is one of the serious problems of modern society, the relevance of which is typical for countries with very different socio-economic conditions, cultural, and religious traditions. One of the most suicidally dangerous ages is adolescence (Button and Marsh 13). When sexual and role identification is formed, unrequited love, conflicts with friends and parents, and school problems are acutely experienced. The prevention of suicidal behavior is one of modern societys most critical and complex problems. Combinations of micro-social reasons and individual psychological features of the person, causing suicidal forms of reaction to psychologically difficult circumstances, assume individualization of work, especially with students at risk.
When carrying out a conversation with the teenager thinking about suicide, teachers are recommended to take the following steps. First, it is necessary to listen attentively to the interlocutor, as teenagers often suffer from loneliness and the impossibility of pouring out the soul. Secondly, it is essential to formulate questions correctly, calmly, and lucidly to ask about the essence of the disturbing situation and about what help is needed. Thirdly, it is unnecessary to argue and not insist that his misfortune is insignificant, that he lives better than others. Teachers should not use statements that make the child feel unnecessary (Coleman 56). Besides, it is necessary to try to give the teenager hope. It should be realistic and aimed at strengthening his forces and abilities. If suicidal tendencies of a schoolboy are noticed, the following tips will help to change the situation.
The first step is to listen carefully to the teenager who has decided to commit suicide and make every effort to understand the problem behind the words. One also needs to assess the seriousness of the childs intentions and feelings (Robinson et al. 6). If he already has a concrete plan for suicide, he needs help right away. At the same time, it is essential to assess the depth of the emotional crisis, paying attention to details. For example, if the person in a state of depression suddenly starts to show violent activity this can be a cause for alarm.
It is worth paying attention to all, even the minor grievances and complaints. The teenager may not give vent to his feelings, hiding his problems, but at the same time be in a state of deep depression. To prevent a teenager from committing suicide, parents should cultivate in the child the habit of telling his parents not only about his achievements but also about his worries, doubts, and fears (Kweon 167). In addition, one cannot sneer at the child if, in any situation, he is weak physically and mentally. Instead, it is necessary to help and support him or her, to point out possible ways of solving the problem.
To sum up, taking preventive measures to prevent teenage suicide is deeply individual. Work with the teenager should be carried out both by the teacher and the parents. It is essential to listen to the child and allow him or her to speak openly about his/her problems and anxieties. If the teen feels that he or she has a safe place to talk openly about his or her worries, he or she is less likely to commit suicide. When talking to depressed children, taking their concerns seriously and showing involvement and interest is essential. Thus, if timely prophylactic measures are taken, teen suicide can be prevented.
Immanuel Kant believes that suicide is morally wrong. How would Kant argue for this position? Explain.
Immanuel Kant maintains a radical position regarding the act of committing suicide, or even attempting to take ones own life. To Kant, those who commit suicide or even attempt it are lesser than other human beings. Kant cites the superiority of the human race as the reason for his opposition to suicide.
Moreover, human character is superior to that of animals. When one commits suicide, he or she compares human character to that of an animal or an object. Kant says that the wellbeing of a human being is supreme, thus suicide is an abominable act.
From your understanding of Utilitarianism, would a utilitarian regard suicide as morally wrong? Explain.
Utilitarianism stresses that it is appropriate when an action benefits the greatest number of individuals rather than one person. This means that it is wrong when a person commits suicide, and causes suffering to other people, whether physical or emotional.
Logical considerations make suicide a good thing if the person involved does not have any connection to humanity. It is obvious that the death of a person through suicide causes sadness and even grief to the people close to the individual. Consequently, utilitarianism regards suicide an inappropriate solution.
Would Paley regard suicide as morally wrong? Explain.
William Paley argues on the issue of suicide the same way the utilitarian philosophy approaches the issue. Paley says that if a person determines that his or her life is useless to both the society and oneself, it is prudent to commit suicide in order to extinguish the suffering of both parties.
However, he observes that it is impossible for any person to determine the value of a human being to a society. In addition, Paley postulates that suicide is a good option if the sorrow the individual involved is experiencing is more than the sorrow that will be caused by his or her death. Again, he observes that it is not within human capability to accurately determine the degree of sorrow, particularly in the future. Finally, Paley determines that suicide cannot be justified under any circumstances.
What do you think? Explain.
Suicide would be a plausible solution to some seemingly insolvent problems if it results in a better situation after its occurrence. No one knows the consequences of suicide for the person who has committed it. This uncertainty is an adequate reason to regard suicide as morally unacceptable. After a person commits suicide, relatives and other close people often suffer lifelong trauma. While the suffering of one person can be neutralized by suicide, the event marks the beginning of a difficult mental and emotional experience for many others. Thus, in my opinion, suicide is morally wrong.
Religion and Ethics
Do we (you and I) have a moral obligation not to take Gods name in vain?
Paley, in his philosophical work, analyzes each of the Ten Commandments. He calls for logical interpretation of the laws. Regarding the third commandment, he refers to the teachings of Christ of Nazareth, who cautions people against swearing upon Gods name, or in reference to any object that relates to God. Consequently, it becomes a duty for everyone not to swear by Gods name according to Paley.
Immanuel Kant developed the philosophy of categorical imperative. He postulated that there should be a reason behind every action. In his deontological approach to morals, he found it appropriate to apply logic to every action rather than apply unquestioned moral doctrines. Kant does not find a reason why one should not use Gods name in vain. To him, it is not your obligation to observe rules that are not based on pure reason.
John Stuart Mill developed the rules that govern the philosophy of utilitarianism. In his argument, Mill said that the best action is that which benefits most people. For the benefit of the majority to exist, there must be logical reasoning. This separates the philosophy of utilitarianism from religious teachings. The reason behind this is that religion is not based on logic, but on beliefs. Consequently, Stuart Mill would not have found it an obligation not to take the Lords name in vain.
Do we have an obligation to follow Rule 8?
William Paley was a supporter of principles of ethics similar to utilitarianism. In all his works, he lobbied for justice for the poor. He at one time declared that he was of the opinion that the poor had the right to steal from the few rich in order to survive. This indicates that he would not have supported the punishment that the code of Hammurabi dictated for a poor person who had committed an offence of stealing from the rich.
The deontological approach adopted by Immanuel Kant emphasizes on the supremacy of goodwill. The rule number eight in the code of Hammurabi seems to have been made for the purpose of revenge and intimidation of the poor. In this essence, Immanuel Kant would have dismissed it as lacking justifiable goodwill to make it worth the sacrifice.
If John Stuart Mill was to consider the rule number eight in the code of the Hammurabi, he would have found it to be in favor of the royalty and the rich. In this regard, the rule would not have been worth practicing in Mills opinion since the rich and the royalty are not the majority.
What is your opinion? Explain.
In my opinion it is retrogressive for any society to carry out excessive punishment as in the code of Hammurabi. Although stealing may present a problem, it is not logical to kill a thief or take the little wealth he or she has. This is also not good for the majority.
Philosophy can be defined as the desire to acquire wisdom and knowledge on life. It thus deals with a persons intelligence on aspects of life that an individual has developed an interest in. Camus, for instance, developed an interest in understanding the human nature and how humans respond to the environment. This paper seeks to discuss the argument made by Camus over philosophical suicide. The paper will look into what Camus defined as psychological suicide with the aim of evaluating the decision that was made by Camus.
Philosophical Suicide
The origin of Camus argument over philosophical suicide is based on the concept of nature being abstract and thus making it very hard for people to fully and clearly understand it. Camus had the views that it would be difficult, if not impossible to digest and understand the world in a reasonable way thus presenting a conflict in human beings who want to have a rational life. The inability of humans to develop an understanding of the world has also resulted in peoples internal conflict as expectations fall apart to what nature dictates upon people.
He explained that absurdity is a result of questions that are asked in life following occurrences that are not understood. Such questions, owing to their lack of answers bring the awareness that nature is abstract. One of the thoughts that Camus laid down for his argument is the idea that once the abstract nature of the world is revealed to an individual, a person develops attitudes that are connected to the urge to die, bringing in elements of suicide among people (Sandres and Skoble 121).
Available options
The conflict that is created by the existence of absurdity of nature enlists reactions from individuals to try and understand nature for an appropriate response. According to Camus, there are just but a few available options that an individual has in the face of the abstract nature of the world.
These options are actual suicide, philosophical suicide and revolt (Sandres and Skoble 122). The option of actual suicide involves the termination of an individuals life in a bid to eliminate the problem experienced due to absurdity. The other available response to natures abstract condition is revolt against it. Revolt, however, has the effect of torturing an individual as well as being quite demanding.
In revolt, a person will, for example, have to abandon weaknesses in order to be able to endure the effects that are caused by inability to understand or even react to nature. Philosophical suicide on the other hand involves an assumption of the complexity presented by nature.
Under this response, a person isolates self from the existence of nature by suppressing knowledge towards nature. Philosophical suicide takes a safer ground that is not available in revolt under which a person still ends up being alienated in life like in the case of suicide (Sandres and Skoble 123).
Conclusion
The abstract nature of the world poses problems that can only be solved through three ways. Suicide and revolt either technically or implicitly eliminates an individual from the world leaving philosophical suicide as the neutral and safer resort. Philosophical suicide is thus the comfort zone among the three options. A fair opinion will therefore concur with Camus that once in it a person cannot easily walk out of philosophical suicide.
Work Cited
Sandres, Steven and Skoble Aenon. The philosophy of TV noir. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2008. Print.
David Hume is a very important personality notable for his roles in the transformation of the Western philosophy. He believed that a humans desire is what constituted the behavior. The reasoning comes secondary. According to him, reason is a slave of someones passions. A mentality comes about after a series of customs gained through experience and an acquired ability. He held the position that human beings have no actual concept of themselves, but bundles of sensations that are linked to them. He was a sentimentalist who believed that a humans moral philosophy was influenced by their free will (Hume, 2009). His position was that it is not persons moral principles that influence ethics, but ones feelings.
Hume argued that suicide is at least sometimes permissible. This is due to the compatibility that exists between freedom and the determination of ones actions. It is a free world, and when people are free to do whatever they wish, the outcome of their behavior can only be blamed on themselves. Suicidal thoughts come as a result of a series of events that an individual could have handled at an earlier stage. A suicidal person would, however, consider this argument insensitive because, at that point, they at least need anyone blaming them. Hume developed the concepts of necessity and liberty as the basis of humans actions. Necessity constitutes the natural operations that cause the desire to do something. Liberty, on the other hand, is ones authority to act in accordance to their will. It is the power to control necessity. He linked the two aspects and considered them compatible in various dimensions. For instance, liberty requires necessity because that is what causes our actions to have a connection with our motives. Therefore, if someones acts are not associated with their will, their acts would then be the outcomes of chances. No one dies of suicide by chance (Sacharoff, 1972).
Hume wrote essays on suicide and immortality. He always expressed his belief that all events are the actions of the Almighty. This is because he endows his creatures with the freedom to do whatever pleases them. Therefore, any person who makes his own escape from life having overcome all the natural causes of death does wrong (Hume, 1995). Whether a person commits suicide due to pain or misery, he distorts the plan of the Almighty upon the universe. Hume observed that the lives of men are usually dependent on the laws that govern matter, in addition to the influence of motion. Disposing ones life is a criminal offense because it disturbs their normal operation. All animals are entrusted by the creator to conduct themselves using their skills. Disturbing the normal operation of the world as God intended is blasphemous, according to Hume. The Almighty gets displeased when his laws are distorted by the same beings he created.
A defender of the impermissibility of suicide would argue that Hume placed too much emphasis on free will as the basis of human behavior. He overlooked the behavior that is triggered by social injustices and insecurities. A suicide attempt indicates that a victim has suffered a social injustice. It is an act people do when they are out of control. The society judges suicide victims as weak-willed. They put less attention on the extent of the problems consuming them. Hume interpreted the human behavior as being a result of desire rather than reason. The defender of the impermissibility of suicide would have a problem with this school of thought. This is because suicide is never anyones desire, but an act facilitated by a specific reason. He also held the view that reason could only be a slave to passions. This argument ignores some sensitive actions such as suicide. Committing suicide is not a behavior caused by passion, but an event caused by unfortunate experiences. He further described morality and ethics as the sentiments that provided a person with the reason to do a particular action. He agreed with the fact that reason alone cannot motivate a person and, therefore, the input of passions has to be present. In addition, Hume argued that morals stimulate the generation of passions which, in turn, create or prevent an action. However, morality and ethics would have a very minor role in the occurrence of suicide. Morality and ethics influence certain negative actions: robbery with violence, rape, and murder, but would have little to do with suicide.
Humes philosophies on suicide make suicide appear as an immoral act. The advantage is that this may prevent a person from contemplating suicide. This is due to the emphasis that a person who takes away his/her own life does not harm the society in any way but, instead, retires from doing well. One, therefore, ceases to promote the societys interests and, consequently, loses the benefits that come with it. However, Hume should have addressed the pains and miseries that cause them to do so.
Reference
Hume, D. (1995). Essays on suicide and the immortality of the soul: The complete 1783 edition. Web.
Hume, D. (2009). Of suicide. Web.
Sacharoff, M. (1972). Suicide and Brutus Philosophy in Julius Caesar. Journal of History and Ideas, 33(1), 115-22.
The term suicide came into use for the first time in the 17th century. Even at that time, the context within which it was used varied significantly. For instance, linguists such as Walter Charleston used the word suicide to describe a phenomenon through which people vindicated themselves from imminent destruction.
This is opposed to Edward Philips view where he saw suicide as nothing but a barbaric act. According to Schneidman (2004), understanding suicide goes beyond evaluating the characteristics of each occurrence. There are seemingly obvious traits of suicide, which require deeper understanding. Schneidman (2004) calls them muted characteristics.
Other than the context, language also contributes towards the definition of suicide. Since the 17th century different phrases from different languages have been used. Their English equivalent have been given here. The most common one states that suicide is the procurement of ones death. Other popular yet controversial phrases are: to put an end to oneself, to precipitate oneself, to take death into ones own hands, to set oneself free with ones own hands and lastly, to offer death unto oneself (Schneidman, 2004, p. 15).
Some of these phrases omit important information such as the catalyst for suicide, the role of the spy and the role of religion. Whether suicide is willful or not is also omitted. Additionally, the controversies in these definitions tend to indicate that the motivation to end ones life differs with each occurrence. Either ending ones life, escape from humiliation, freedom or terminating of suffering could be ultimate goal of suicide.
In view of the above facts, suicide is the willful initiation and actual completion of an act that will end the life of the initiator either in the full knowledge of a spy, which is motivated by the desire to procure death, avoid humiliation, end ones suffering or free oneself from misery (Schneidman, 2004).
Causes and triggers of suicide
From this definition, it is evident that suicide is a complicated phenomenon. Tracing its causes has also elicited varied and sometimes controversial theories. While some scholars have chosen to isolate each cause of suicide, others have grouped them into broad categories. This paper will focus on the broad categories as well as the underlying controversies.
Zai et al. (2012) propose that suicide is predominantly genetic. More than 50% of suicidal people inherit the trait from parents. In this study it was found out that most of the victims of suicide had parents who had either attempted or successfully procured suicide. This is corroborated by Bridge, Goldstein and Brent (2006), who argue that there is a genetic component that precipitates suicide behavior.
However, Beautrais et al. (2005) refute this by arguing that research has not yet identified a gene responsible for suicide. While acknowledging that suicide is more common in certain families, this should not be the basis of connecting genes to suicide. Suicide is a non-genetic familial trait.
Environment is also another major cause of suicide. Some environmental factors may precipitate suicide. Bridge, Goldstein and Brent (2006) argue that this is so especially for teenage suicide victims. Aldridge (2001) uses the term ecology to describe these environmental factors. It is possible for people not to adapt to the ecological niche which they occupy. This implies that for such people, suicide is not motivated by the desire to end ones life, but to escape from a frustrating and harmful environment.
Within the ecological factors, Aldridge (2001) states that ecological niche also encompasses social environment. In most developing countries especially those in the former Soviet Union, the social environment has drastically changed. This, while brought about by rapid modernization, is characterized by loss of job, increase in the cost of living, poverty, lower life expectancy and blurring of gender roles. It causes an individual to lose touch with the ecology which can lead to suicide.
However, Bridge, Goldstein and Brent (2006) dissociate the phrase social factors from the term ecology. They argue that unemployment, loss of social status, negative peer influences, family breakup and child abuse as some of the social issues that may curtail a persons adaptability to ones niche. This is likely to lead to suicide, especially in males aged between 20 and 24 years, homosexuals and the homeless.
The causes discussed above focus on the external environment and as such exonerate the suicidal person from any blame. However, there are internal factors such a persons mental health, emotional state, psychological health as well as neural-biological status, which have been connected with suicidal behavior. This is true especially for people aged 80 years and above.
Symptoms of suicide
One of the most common symptoms of suicide is the unnoticed sudden change of behavior. This may be manifested in sudden loss of interest in an activity previously enjoyed. Additionally, one become moody, reckless and manifest the tendency to lose attention. Speech can also indicate suicidal tendencies. For instance, one becomes incoherent and even expresses disjointed thoughts.
A few suicidal people express the need to escape to a faraway place while others express the desire to end life. Some acquire destructive behavior such as drug and substance abuse while others go on hunger strike (Schneidman, 2004, p. 79). As reported by Beautrais et al. (2005) some people at the risk of suicide may also expose themselves to situations that endanger their lives. This includes using brute force.
Treatment
The symptoms identified above suggest that people at the risk of suicide experience a level of internal turmoil. Seeking treatment should focus on treating the patient. There are a range of patient centered methods available. Psychotherapy is one of them.
The main aim of psychotherapy is to change how the patient reacts to the prevailing circumstances by evaluating the patients thoughts, moods and feelings. Psychotherapy presupposes that suicide can only be treated by changing the patients worldview. Other scholars claim that the administration of medication such as antidepressants cures suicide. However, there is very little evidence to prove their efficacy (Jacobs et al., 2003).
Scheidman (2004) suggests that the causes of suicide are actually barriers to a comfortable life. This approach suggests that suicide is not only a means to procure death but is seen as a way of escaping from disillusionment but also hints at a persons inability to cope with the prevailing circumstances. As such, suicide can be treated by either eliminating, circumventing or mastering the prevailing barriers.
According to Aldridge (2001), treating suicide medically provides short term remedies. Such a superficial approach limits the problem solving opportunities as it does not address the real cause. Instead, Aldridge (2001) proposes a method that seeks to change the social situation. This can be achieved by looking to the society and coming up with solutions that help to address the individual causative factors. Other strategies within this line of thought include treating the whole family especially where suicide is familial or a relapse has occurred.
Practical issues
Issue that emerge when dealing with a suicidal person
Suicide does not just happen. When dealing with a suicidal person there are issues that are likely to emerge. For instance family history is one of those issues. Family background may manifest itself in different forms. To begin with, there are families that have a history of suicide. While this might imply that members of those families have come to accept suicide as part of the family, developing society based prevention brings desirable long term solutions.
It helps the suicidal person as well as the family eliminate justification for suicide. Secondly, the environment within the family might encourage members of those families to commit suicide. Breaking of family relationships is a negative family environment that triggers suicide.
While most the causes outlined above point at external causes of suicide, underlying issues within a suicidal person should not be ignored. For instance, while dealing with a suicidal person, issues such as personal pain and suffering are likely to emerge. There are people who can successfully hide such pain. However, acknowledging that suicidal people suffer unbearable internal turmoil long before deciding to commit suicide is usually beneficial. Denial is another issue that one is likely to deal with.
It is manifested in various ways. For instance suicidal people may deny that they need help, and instead seek to justify suicidality. Additionally, a suicidal person may also deny the intention to procure ones death. This means that helping such people to understand that they are suicidal is paramount.
Practical solutions
Saleebey (n.d.), in one of his articles, offers practical solutions for suicide. He suggests that treatment of suicide should be patient centered. Instead of seeing the destructive behavior that might lead to suicide, it is necessary to look at a persons strengths and develop ways in which those strengths can be utilized in turning around the persons fortunes. Instead of dealing with the problem, the suicidal person is helped to see possibilities of improving the status and quality of life.
Transformation from suicidality fundamentally helps a person overcome the stressor and other suicide precipitating factors. This is achieved through liberating and empowering the person. Liberation means exploring all possible choices to better the life of the victim.
A person is helped to be committed to actions that will improve the status of ones life. It explores new human energies and helps a person explore new ways of thinking that challenges traditional beliefs. Liberation offers hope and aims at turning the suicidal person, the villain, into a hero. It helps suicidal people not only to dispel suicidal thoughts but to carry on hopefully amid searing stress (Saleebey, n.d., p. 7). It is a way of renewing the mind.
Beautrais, L. (2005). Suicide prevention: A review of evidence of risk and protective factors, and points of effective intervention. Wellington: Ministry of Health.
Bridge, J., Goldstein, R. & Brent, D. (2006). Adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 372-394.