Department of Psychiatry, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
J Natl Med Assoc. 2011 Jul;103(7):614-7. doi: 10.1016/s0027-9684(15)30388-6.
Suicide is the act of a human being intentionally causing his or her own death. More than 1 million people commit suicide every year. It is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, with China, India, and Japan accounting for almost half of all suicides. In less than 50 years, the rate of suicide among Sri Lankans has risen from a modest level to one of the highest in the world (118 per 100,000). Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death. It is influenced by psychosocial, cultural, and environmental risk factors. The impact of suicide can be devastating for all concerned. It is common in people who are living with chronic mental illness. Individuals with severe clinical depression and alcohol use disorders are at highest risk if untreated. On an interpersonal level, friends and families of suicide victims require social support. On a national level, governments need to recognize the causes of suicide and protect those most vulnerable. If governments commit to defining national responses to prevent suicide, significant progress can be made. On a global scale, research and health organizations can identify global trends and encourage the sharing of information in effective prevention activities. In September 2010, World Suicide Prevention Day, with a theme of "Many faces, many places: suicide prevention across the world," encouraged public awareness worldwide to unite in commitment and action to promote understanding about suicide and removal of stigmatization'. There is compelling evidence that adequate prevention and awareness can reduce suicide rates.
自杀是人类故意导致自己死亡的行为。每年有超过 100 万人自杀。它是全球第 13 大死因，中国、印度和日本占全球自杀人数的近一半。在不到 50 年的时间里，斯里兰卡的自杀率从适度水平上升到全球最高之列（每 10 万人中有 118 人）。自杀是一个可以预防的导致过早死亡的主要原因。它受到社会心理、文化和环境风险因素的影响。自杀的影响对所有相关人员来说都是毁灭性的。它在患有慢性精神疾病的人中很常见。未经治疗，患有严重临床抑郁症和酒精使用障碍的个体风险最高。在人际关系层面上，自杀受害者的朋友和家人需要社会支持。在国家层面上，政府需要认识到自杀的原因，并保护那些最脆弱的人。如果政府致力于制定国家对策以预防自杀，就可以取得重大进展。在全球范围内，研究和卫生组织可以确定全球趋势，并鼓励在有效的预防活动中分享信息。2010 年 9 月世界预防自杀日的主题是“多面人生，多方参与：全球预防自杀”，鼓励全世界提高公众意识，共同承诺并采取行动，以增进对自杀的了解并消除污名化。有充分的证据表明，充分的预防和认识可以降低自杀率。
