ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses suicide from the perspectives of psychopathology, existentialism, and religious/cultural factors. A common belief in most cultures is that the suicidal individual must have some form of psychopathology, most notably depression. Rational suicide remains a controversial topic, with one perspective maintaining that suicide is a sign of mental illness and a manifestation of psychopathology. The existential-constructivist model of suicide provides a theoretical foundation by which the psychological underpinnings of suicidality can be interpreted. Suicide was prohibited by St. Augustine, who considered it self-murder and breaking the Biblical sixth commandment. Self-immolation also occurs within the Hindu faith. Suicide in this situation may have existential realism embedded within it such that psychologists may also recognize that people are autonomous and can make their own decisions. Clinically, personal perspectives of suicide must be considered in more depth than taught in training programs. Psychologists must consider their own and their clients' responsibility, ethics, law, culture, and faith while working with suicidal clients.
