Episode 52: The Science Behind Suicide focuses on some of the important theoretical and empirical findings that form our understanding of suicide. You might think that suicide, a human response to great psychological stress, recorded even in ancient literature, has long been studied by mental health professionals. This actually is not true. Psychiatry and clinical psychology long neglected this topic. As with the general public, the discussion of suicide was largely avoided, even in professional circles.
Enter Edwin Schneidman
Edwin Schneidman, an American psychologist, did much to change that. He has been referred to as the father of contemporary suicidology–the science of why people take their lives and how to prevent it. Dr. Schneidman became interested in the causes of suicide while working with war veterans in a California VA hospital. As we have highlighted in previous episodes of our podcast, combat veterans are at particularly high risk for taking their lives. While seeking to understand why one particular veteran had taken his life, Dr. Schneidman began a research program to understand the motivations underlying suicide. It became apparent to him that there was very little known about the causes of suicide or how to prevent it. The study of suicide became his life’s work.
In 1958, along with two colleagues, Dr. Schneidman established one of the nation’s first suicide prevention centers in Los Angeles, California. He then went on to become co-director of the Center for Suicide Prevention at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Building on his experience in leading the suicide prevention center in Los Angeles, he recognized the importance of establishing a network of such centers throughout the country.
The American Association of Suicidology
Under the sponsorship of the NIMH Dr. Shneidman convened a group of renowned scholars in Chicago. From this meeting it was determined that suicide should be the focus of rigorous study to understand its causes, to educate the public about it, and to prevent its occurrence. In 1968, Schneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). The AAS remains the premier organization seeking, in the words of their mission statement: “to promote the understanding and prevention of suicide and support those who have been affected by it. “
The AAS continues to support research on suicide and its prevention. They hold annual conferences on suicidology and they publish a peer-reviewed journal first founded by Dr. Schneidman. The AAS also continues Dr. Schneidman’s work in developing suicide crisis centers. They have developed standards for crisis centers, certifying and training the crisis workers who staff them. The AAS offers resources and support for both suicide attempt survivors and for persons who have lost loved ones to suicide. The AAS also provides recommendations and training for media on how to responsibly publish information about suicides and suicide attempts.
In Conclusion…
Until the advent of the AAS, suicide was little studied or understood by professionals. Since its inception, AAS has provided a forum for the interchange of information about research on suicide. It disseminates information about suicide to mental health professionals, to the public, to the media, and to policy makers. It provides resources to those affected by suicide, and it provides guidelines to communities on the establishment of suicide prevention centers and the training of their staff.