Citation

Obegi JH. Psychiatry Psychol. Law. 2024; 31(1): 121-131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13218719.2023.2175069

PMID

38455271

PMCID

PMC10916891

Abstract

Conventional thinking holds that most inmates who hunger strike do not desire to die. Rather, they want prison officials to concede to their demands. In this paper, I examine whether death by hunger strike can be classified as suicide. After reviewing definitions of suicide and suicidal intent, I conclude that some deaths by hunger strike can be readily classified as suicides. I further propose that conditional intention is a useful way to understand the complex motivations of hunger strikers. I close by discussing the implications of conditional intention for the assessment of suicidal intent among hunger strikers and for the duty of mental health providers to prevent suicide.

Language: en

Keywords

conditional intention; food refusal; hunger strike; suicidal intent; suicide