2. BRIEF HISTORY
• The Dispute of a Man with His Soulan Egyptian record and the first
known document dealing with
suicide.
• In Early Hebrew history suicide
refers to an escape from the
consequences of political or military
defeat (Rosen, 1975).
3. • The earliest suicide mention in Greek
Literature is that of Jocasta.
• Eventually, suicide became common
in the Roman Empire that the act was
consummated with great ease.
• When the Christian word spread, St.
Augustine (354-430 A.D) spoke out
against the taking of one’s own life.
4. • In 1854, attempted suicide was first
recognized as a crime.
• In the early nineteenth century, attitudes
towards suicide were revealing a less
moral or theologic bias and by the middle
of the nineteenth century opinions with
noticeable social and medical overtones
were being heard.
• Suicide had over the years changed
status from a sin to a disgrace and, as a
topic of discussion, a taboo – an attitude
still quite prevalent today.
5. DEFINITION
• Etymology- Latin word,
suicidium, from sui cadere, “to
kill oneself”
• The action of killing oneself
intentionally (Merriam Webster
Dictionary)
6. • The act or an instance of taking one’s
own life voluntarily and intentionally
(Webster’s Third New International
Dictionary)
• “..the term suicide is applied to all
cases of death resulting directly or
indirectly from a positive or negative
act of the victim himself, which he
knows will produce the result.”
(General Psychology Book)
12. DATA AND STATISTICS
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
estimates that each year approximately
one million people die from
suicide, which represents a global
mortality rate of 16 people per 100,000
or one death every 40 seconds. It is
predicted that by 2020 the rate of death
will increase to one every 20 seconds.
13. The WHO further reports that:
In the last 45 years suicide
rates have increased by 60%
worldwide. Suicide is now among
the three leading causes of death
among those aged 15-44 (male and
female). Suicide attempts are up to
20 times more frequent than
completed suicides.
14. Youth Suicide Rates
by Race/Ethnicity (Ages 15-24)
Ethnic Group
Suicide Rate per 100,000
American Indian/Alaskan Native
20.9 per 100,000
White
11.4 per 100,000
Asian/Pacific Islander
7.3 per 100,000
Black
6.6 per 100,000
Hispanic
4.7 per 100,000
*Number of suicides per 100,000 population, 2010
According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
14
14
15. In the US, the Centre of Disease Control
and Prevention reports that:
• Overall, suicide is 11th leading cause of
death for all US Americans, and is the
3rd leading cause of death for people
ages 15-24 years.
• Males are four times more likely to die
from suicide than are females. However,
females are more likely to attempt
suicide than are males.
16. Local Data and Statistics
The Geneva-based World
Health Organization (WHO) reported
the Philippines has suicide rates (per
100,000) of 2.5 for men and 1.7 for
women as of 1993. This fact may be
appalling for Filipinos but the
numbers are way too small compared
to those in other Western countries.
17. EUTHANASIA
The term Euthanasia
originated from the Greek word for
"good death." It is the act or practice
of ending the life of a person
either by lethal injection or the
suspension of medical treatment.
19. How Can Teachers Help?
Key tasks:
Identification of at-risk students
Referral for assessment and evaluation,
according to school’s protocol or policy
Teachers and other school personnel
must know how to recognize “risk” in
youth.
20. Local Organizations and Hotlines
• Non-Government Agencies
• Natasha Goulborn Foundation
• Department of Social Welfare
and Development
• 0917-588-HOPE (4673)
• NGO’s: 0917-5724673
21. Man is a prisoner who has
no right to open the door of his
prison and run away ... A man
should wait, and not take his
own life until God summons
him.
-Plato
White youth and American Indians have a suicide rate a little above the national average, and the other groups shown have rates below the national average for all youth.