Why People Die by Suicide
Book Details
- Publisher : Harvard U.P.
- Published : 2007
- Category :
Grief and Bereavement - Category 2 :
Trauma and Violence - Catalogue No : 26726
- ISBN 13 : 9780674025493
- ISBN 10 : 0674025490
Reviews and Endorsements
Among the many people who have considered, attempted, or died by suicide, Thomas Joiner 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. This is a work that makes sense of the bewildering array of statistics and stories surrounding suicidal behaviour.