Suicidology: what it is, characteristics and objectives of this science.

A summary of the characteristics of suicidology as a scientific field.

Although the problem of suicide in our society has always been considered a taboo subject, it is increasingly being treated with greater transparency.

In fact, today all the factors that influence this behavior are being studied in depth, and this is done through suicide research. is done through the field of suicidology.. Next we will see in detail what this field of knowledge consists of.

What is suicidology

Suicidology is the science that studies all those suicidal behaviors, but it does not stop there.But it does not stay there, but it tries to elaborate a series of guidelines to achieve to prevent them. These objectives are achieved by drinking from two great branches of science, which are Psychology and Sociology.

Suicidology not only focuses on suicide, but also studies other self-injurious behaviors that do not necessarily lead to death, as well as suicidal ideation and parasuicides. that do not necessarily result in death, and also suicidal ideation and parasuicides.

Suicidology in Spain

In Spain this discipline is led by the Spanish Society of Suicidology, born in 2015.. Its aim is to bring together all groups of health professionals and other areas that in one way or another may have a relationship with potentially suicidal people, to establish and comply with a series of guidelines whose objective is to reduce the prevalence of this phenomenon.

Likewise, they try to make the problem of suicide visible, since it has traditionally been omitted from most of the media and even within society itself, a fact that, they say, makes it much more difficult to address the problem effectively.

The Spanish Society of Suicidology organizes annual congresses and conferences dedicated to bringing together experts in suicidal behaviors in order to to improve the protocols for the prevention of these acts..

What do we understand by suicide?

Suicide is known as the act of an individual who voluntarily takes his or her own life.. It can be carried out in a multitude of ways, but the most frequent are hanging, the use of poisons and the use of firearms.

There are risk factors that make a person more likely to commit suicide.. For example, some mental disorders, receiving harassment of some kind, unresolved grief, loss of employment, alcoholism and consumption of other substances, among others.

Suicidal behavior in history

This phenomenon has occurred throughout human history, but the perception of suicide has not always been the same. In ancient Greece, suicide could even be well regarded if it was performed as a way to avoid dishonor. In Rome it was initially legal, but later it was forbidden, for a purely economic reason (the death of slaves was a way of avoiding dishonor). (the death of slaves generated losses for them).

But what marked its stigma in Western society was the arrival of the Church, which came to consider it a sin, since the sixth commandment, "thou shalt not kill", also implied not killing oneself.

However, with the Renaissance, another turn in the perception of suicide was experienced, defending it in a certain way. And already with the Enlightenment, authors such as David Hume promulgated that since it did not affect anyone but the individual himself, and in a certain way was for his benefit, suicide could not be a crime.

In the 19th century, the focus definitely shifted from the religious question to the mental health of the suicidal individual. of the suicidal individual, moving from talk of sin to talk of insanity. Finally, in the middle of the 20th century, suicide ceased to appear in the penal codes of many European countries.

Epidemiology

The figures surrounding this phenomenon, on a global level, are devastating.. Approximately one million people in the world decide to take their own lives, and in fact do so. This is one voluntary intentional death every 2 minutes.

The epidemiology of suicide in Spain shows that every year about 3500 citizens take their own lives.The vast majority are men (3 men for every woman). In terms of age, the highest suicide rates are observed in men between 40 and 59 years of age. Of note is the concern about the increase in data experienced in 2019, almost 10% more compared to the previous year.

Suicidal ideation

Generally, before reaching the act of suicide, a series of self-destructive thoughts go through the mind of the individual.. These ideations can occur in a wide spectrum, from the mere imagination of "what would happen if...", to the elaboration of a detailed plan that inexorably ends in the deprivation of one's own life.

A number of phases are referred to during suicidal ideation:

• Ideational: includes the first lucubrations about the idea of taking one's own life.
• Struggle: these ideas gain strength and generate anxiety in the individual, who doubts about the decision to take.
• Relaxation: after deciding to commit suicide, the person stops feeling this anxiety.

However, in the face of this phase system, suicidal behavior can also occur suicidal behavior can also occur suddenly, for example due to an extremely high peak of stress (in combination with a number of other factors, of course). (coupled with a number of other factors, of course).

When the individual is in some phase of suicidal ideation, he usually shows a series of symptoms that should be like a "red alert" for all the people around him, especially for health professionals. They would include anhedonia, anxious-depressive symptoms, loss of sleep and/or loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating, among others.

Parasuicide

Parasuicide is a self-injurious behavior in which the individual voluntarily brings him/herself to the brink of death, knowing that it is unlikely that he/she will succeed.knowing that it is unlikely to achieve that goal, with the intention of attracting the attention of the people around him. The main difference, in this case, is that the person does not really want to die.

It is also a very serious behavior that requires all possible mechanisms to be put in place so that the person receives adequate treatment. requires all possible mechanisms to be put in place so that the person receives the appropriate treatment and ceases this type of behavior and cease this type of behavior, resolving the problems that are causing it.

Murder-suicide

This is a different typology of suicide in which the person kills (or at least attempts to kill) other individuals just before or at the same time as committing suicide.

The typology and the underlying motivations that lead to it are very varied. We can find cases of people who provide the means for an impaired loved one to die, others who kill people in their immediate environment and even cases of suicide attacks, either by shooting, explosives, with vehicles, etc...

Self-destructive behavior

They would be all those behaviors that are aimed at deliberately harming oneself, but not necessarily leading to death, as most of them are usually much more subtle.

These behaviors can be classified into two types.

Direct self-injurious behaviors

They are intended to produce immediate harmand are carried out by means of all types of physical violence (trauma, incisions with sharp objects, burns, etc.). The most extreme expression of this behavior is suicide.

Indirect self-injurious behaviors

On the other hand, this type of action is intended (consciously or unconsciously) to cause long-term harm.. These include substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.), risky sexual practices (without the use of adequate protection), engaging in dangerous sports, participating in uncontrolled gambling, or suffering from eating disorders.

Suicide note

This is a key element because, although it obviously does not serve to prevent the death of that particular individual, it does provide us with a lot of information about the causes of suicide. provides us with a lot of information about the causes that have led him/her to make such a fatal decision, so that experts can work with him/her to identify the cause of death.The suicide note is a key element, so that experts can work with very valuable data in order to create more effective anti-suicide protocols, allowing them to save the lives of other people who find themselves in similar situations.

The suicide note is an element used by one in six people who decide to take their own lives, although according to studies it seems to be a strongly cultural factor, since in some societies the figure rises to one in two.

The objectives they seek in writing these pre-death lines are varied in nature. Some aim to alleviate the suffering of their loved ones, while others, on the contrary, seek to deepen it, making them feel responsible for this decision and even to indicate what they wish to be done with their body. Others use it more pragmatically to explain the reasons that have led them to it. Some take the opportunity to express what they never dared to do and what tormented them.

But there are also reasons for those who do not write a suicide note.. Some are simply concentrating on the more practical preparations for the act of suicide and do not stop to think about writing. Others pretend that the death is accidental or even that they have been murdered.

In some cases, the decision is sudden (even if it has been ruminated on for some time) and has not resulted in the note. In some cases the person simply has nothing to say or, more dramatically, no one to say it to. Finally, there are those who do not know how to express their message, or simply do not want to.

There is a way out

Before concluding, it is important to be clear that there are always people willing to help anyone who is going through a bad time. Suicide should never be the solution. If you need help, do not hesitate to call the telephone of hope (717 00 37 17), whatever the day and whatever the time. On the other end of the line you will find a professional ready to reach out to you.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Maris, R. W., Berman, A. L., Silverman. (2000). Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology. New York. The Guilford Press.
• Silverman, M. M. (2006). The Language of Suicidology. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior: Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 519-532.
• Chávez–Hernández, A. M., Leenaars, A. A. (2010). Edwin S Shneidman y la suicidología moderna. México. Salud Ment vol.33 no.4