Citation

Brecčić P. Medicus 2017; 26(2): 173-183.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Suicide is an important psychopathological entity and one of the most demanding clinical situations. It also represents a major public health issue since it is one of the leading ten causes of death in a majority of countries. Number of deaths caused by suicide is higher than those caused by traffic accidents and homicide. This is why death by suicide is sometimes called "the silent epidemy". Every 40 seconds one suicide is committed worldwide and 800.000 people die by suicide annually. One of the key questions around suicide is its nature, etiology and even definition which, at least partially, define psychiatric intervention. A question is raised whether suicide is a disorder in and of itself or a symptom, complication or modification of some mental disorder. Suicidal behavior is complex and includes, in dimensional spectrum, a broad range of self-destructive behavior which should be motivated by clear and conscious intent. Such definition is not applicable for all forms of suicidal behavior. Suicide is not usually predictable; only one third of people with suicidal ideation speak freely about them. Until now, there are no specific predictors which always, in linear causality, lead to suicidal behavior. Due to that, suicide is a very complicated multifactorial etiology. At the level of today's scientific knowledge, risk factors do not carry a great importance when looked at separately but etiology of suicid should be observed through the prism of explanatory models in which various risk factors are put into relationship and observed over a period of time. The assessment of suicidal ideation in some mental disorders as a compulsory part of a clinical interview is viewed precisely through exploratory models. © 2017, PLIVA d.d. All rights reserved.

Language: hr

Keywords

Models of suicide; Psychiatric disorders; Suicide