The triggering conditions to the suicidal process
In a quest for a broad vision of the matter, the author traces the history of the subject and analyzes the occurrence of this kind of behavior in Brazil and worldwide
Suicide has always existed, but will it always be a part of the human experience? Should the “right” to suicide be assured? Or on the contrary, should society increasingly get involved in trying to avoid suicidal behavior? In Suicide and its Prevention [O suicídio e sua prevenção], Dr. José Manoel Bertolote, who received the Ringel Service Award from the International Association for Suicide Prevention, a body of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses the issue analytically and from the preventive point of view, through a holistic perspective on the causes of suicidal behavior. He rescues the ways mankind has interpreted suicide throughout history and integrates these visions, creating a biopsychosocial paradigm that combines cultural aspects and their influence on suicidal behavior in different countries.
As contended by Diego De Leo, psychiatry professor and director of the Australian Institute for Research and Prevention of Suicide in the introduction of the book, “Suicide is the worst of all human tragedies. It doesn’t only represent the culmination of unbearable suffering for the individual, but it also means perpetual pain and an agonizing, endless questioning for those who stay. The number of people affected by the suicide of a close person varies, understandably, from country to country, from culture to culture. It is known that in the Western world, at least five to six people are deeply affected by a death caused by suicide. ”
In this work, on a somewhat taboo subject, the author argues that it is possible to identify those presenting suicidal behavior and help them overcome the situation that could lead to the end of their lives. He replicates and comments on suicide prevention programs recently created by the United Nations and WHO, where he coordinated the team of mental and neurological disorders. Adopted by several countries, these programs are especially aimed at health, education and media professionals. “In an attempt to understand the circumstances, the motives, the reasons why one takes his own life – ultimately, the ‘etiology’ of suicide – we must make clear that, unlike an infectious disease, which has a known etiology (or etiologic agent), suicide constitutes what is considered a multi-causal grounded condition,” the author explains.
About the author
José Manoel Bertolote is graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medical and Biological Sciences of Botucatu (Unesp), where he lectures in the Neurology, Psychology and Psychiatry Department. He holds a Master’s degree in Social and Transcultural Psychiatry from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has a Doctorate in Psychiatry from Rio Grande do Sul Federal University and has been the coordinator of the mental and neurological disorders team at the World Health Organization in Geneva. He has received the Ringel Service Award from the International Association for Suicide Prevention, IASP.
Title: Suicide and its prevention [O suicídio e sua prevenção]
Author: José Manoel Bertolote
Number of pages: 137 Format: 11 x 18 cm
ISBN: 978-85-393-0371-7
Rights: worldwide free