Suicide: Warning Signs and Blame

Abstract

Last year I claimed that newspaper reports of suicide indicate that in at least some instances, suicide is not predicted by those close to the subject [ 1 , 2 ]. This could be because the survivors are either not trained or not alert. But I believe that in certain cases, even those both fully trained and alert are unable to pick-up signs—because there aren't any. This leads to the proposal that some suicide is not preventable and that in these cases, the attribution of blame is wrong. I labour this point because we live in a ‘culture of complaint’ and I sense a strong drive to find someone responsible whenever a suicide occurs. I doubt that I lack compassion or that I am paranoid—but I do not deny the possibility.