Why People Die by Suicide
Why People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner, published by Harvard University Press on September 30, 2007, is a comprehensive exploration of the complex factors surrounding suicidal behavior. This edition spans 286 pages and is presented in English. Joiner, a clinical psychologist with personal experience related to the topic, delves into the difficult questions that arise in the aftermath of a suicide, aiming to provide clarity on why some individuals choose to end their lives.
In this book, Joiner identifies three critical factors that contribute to the risk of suicide: the perception of being a burden, feelings of isolation, and the learned ability to inflict self-harm. He supports his findings with a wide range of evidence, including clinical anecdotes, historical context, and insights from various fields such as psychology, anthropology, and neurobiology. This work not only seeks to explain the statistics and narratives surrounding suicide but also offers valuable information for clinicians, scientists, and anyone affected by this profound issue.
Official synopsis Publisher
In the wake of a suicide, the most troubling questions are invariably the most difficult to answer: How could we have known? What could we have done? And always, unremittingly: Why? Written by a clinical psychologist whose own life has been touched by suicide, this book offers the clearest account ever given of why some people choose to die.
Drawing on extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as personal experience, Thomas Joiner brings a comprehensive understanding to seemingly incomprehensible behavior. Among the many people who have considered, attempted, or died by suicide, he finds three factors that mark those most at risk of death: the feeling of being a burden on loved ones; the sense of isolation; and, chillingly, the learned ability to hurt oneself. Joiner tests his theory against diverse facts taken from clinical anecdotes, history, literature, popular culture, anthropology, epidemiology, genetics, and neurobiology–facts about suicide rates among men and women; white and African-American men; anorexics, athletes, prostitutes, and physicians; members of cults, sports fans, and citizens of nations in crisis.
The result is the most coherent and persuasive explanation ever given of why and how people overcome life’s strongest instinct, self-preservation. Joiner’s is a work that makes sense of the bewildering array of statistics and stories surrounding suicidal behavior; at the same time, it offers insight, guidance, and essential information to clinicians, scientists, and health practitioners, and to anyone whose life has been affected by suicide.
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