Experts Cannot Develop an Universal Suicide 'Model'

In a finding that brings a new ray of hope for experts battling suicidal tendencies, scientists have recently determined that they cannot create a viable model to explain why people would want to take their own lives.

There is apparently no way of accounting for why a man or woman may want to do this via generally-valid explanations, and this is nothing but good news, researchers say.

As evidenced numerous times throughout history, various cultures have different views on suicide. Japan is world-renowned for the fact that its ancient samurai took their own lives when they lost a battle, and the courage to apply self-punishment spoke tons about the samurai's character and dedication.

But, in Western cultures, suicide is generally frowned upon. Most people view it as an act of cowardice, and tend to believe that the person who committed the act had no will power to carry on.

But, even in Europe, there are clinics specialized in assisted suicide, especially in Switzerland. Doctors here help the terminally ill put an end to their life of pain in a humane manner, and there is little anyone can argue to that.

Data from the new study also seems to indicate that most of existing stereotypes about suicide, such as for instance the fact that men are more prone to doing it than women, are generally false.

True, more women attempt to end their own lives, but more men succeed at it, so these perceptions are without solid foundation.

The conclusion belongs to Colorado State University expert Silvia S. Canetto, who has been studying the influence and views of and on suicide across cultures for many years.

The scientist says that there is a ray of hope in preventing suicide yet, given that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to determining the rationale behind such acts.

“All of a sudden you realize it's not an inevitable general, universal pattern that men are more likely to die of suicide than women. Then you can see the behavior is not fixed. It's a modifiable characteristic,” Canetto tells LiveScience.

Details of the new work were presented Thursday, August 12, at the 118th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, which was held in San Diego, California.

“Everywhere, suicidal behavior is culturally scripted. Women and men adopt the self-destructive behaviors that are expected of them within their cultures,” Canetto concludes.

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