This document discusses the problems of suicide. It outlines that suicide is a major issue around the world, with over 800,000 deaths by suicide each year. The document then examines some of the main causes of suicide, including mental health issues, financial difficulties, relationship problems, and a lack of religious affiliation. It also explores the effects of suicide, such as the psychological and economic impacts on surviving friends, family, and society. The conclusion argues that governments need to implement prevention strategies like providing mental health support and restricting media reporting on suicide to help address this serious global problem.

1. Running head: THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 1
The Problems of Suicide
Masaya Sharyo
Writing 1 B
Kelly Topp
December 5, 2014

2. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 2
Outline
I. Introduction
A) Background of suicide
B) Thesis statement
II. Body
A) The causes of suicide
1. Mental problems
a) Financial aspects
b) Relationships
2. Religion
B) The effects of suicide on a country
1. People
2. Economy
III. Conclusion
A) Brief summary
B) Possible solutions

3. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 3
The Problems of Suicide
It is destiny that people will die someday after they see the light of day, and it is certainly
mournful to lose someone even if it is a natural death. People also pass away by an unexpected
way such as an accident, killing, or disease. It is more sorrowful as most people want to live
until they get old. Unfortunately, there are also many people who decide to kill themselves all
over the world. The World Health Organization (n.d.) states that “Over 800,000 people die due
to suicide every year and there are many more who attempt suicide.” (Suicide date, para. 1).
This is a large amount. Losing a big number of people is a huge problem for the world. Thus,
the causes of suicide should be revealed, and also the prevention should be found. Because
committing suicide is not a common action for animals, the cause must be related to reason since
animals do not have reason. Human beings who commit suicide would have some troubles.
Additionally, numerous serious issues are produced by committing suicide. There are several
reasons why people commit suicide by mental problems and religion and also effects how it
works to people and economy.
Financial aspects
Financial aspects cause suicides. CNN Money (2013) mentions that “suicides generally
jumped when unemployment levels surged, particularly among men in countries that had
previously enjoyed healthy employment levels” (Financial crisis caused 5,000 suicides, para. 4).
Financial uncertainly and losing a job make suicides because it often leads to another negative
situation such as depression, concern, and the harmful use of alcohol or drugs. The WHO states
25% to 50% of all suicides use alcohol or any substances, and a lot of professors and
organizations stress that in many cases people have depression before they commit suicide. If

4. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 4
people are against just financial uncertainly, they will be able to endure it; however, when it
mixes with another negative state, the risk of suicide will be risen.
Relationships
A human relationship induces suicides as well. It is convenient to rely on someone and
working with others is more enjoyable and meaningful; nonetheless, occasionally some issues
happen between people due to the difference in the culture, appearance, and opinions. Some
people feel stressed because of the difference. For example, The World Health Organization
(2004) noted “Native American Indians in the USA, First Nations and Inuits in Canada,
Australian aboriginals, and aboriginal Maori in New Zealand all have rates of suicide that are
much higher than those of the rest of the population” (p. 36). This is especially for young people.
It is because their native culture and language are infringed from the government, so they are
sometimes isolated, depressed, and discriminated by others, and the situation leads to suicide.
Moreover, abuse and bullying possibly trigger suicides. According to the WHO, the suicide rate
is quite high especially among people who were abused when they were children. Bullying
constantly tortures people, so it is hard to stand bullying. Both of those are one of the most
stressful things, so they are easy to cause suicide.
Religion
Religion strongly influences people’s life; as a result, it is definitely true that religion
affects suicide rate as well. For example, Dervic et al. (2004) claimed that “Religiously
unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree
relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Furthermore,
subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral
objections to suicide” (p. 2303). One of the reasons is that many major religions like Judaism,

5. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 5
Christianity, and Islam make the suicide rates lower because those religious people are not
allowed to commit suicide, and it is a sin in the religions. That is why religious people do not
commit less than others. In other words, nonreligious people tend to commit suicide compared
to religious people. For instance, in Japan the suicide rate is higher than average in the world.
Many people do not have certain religion even though they believe superstition or something
abstract, but they are not so religious like Christians or others. Through this fact, it is easier to
commit suicide for nonreligious than religious people. This could be one of the causes of suicide.
People around suicides
There are several influences of suicide as well as causes. The biggest effect is on people
around a person who commits suicide such as the friends or family. The people will be shocked
when they realize their acquaintances’ death. They also might be going to feel many negative
things like miserableness, regret, or depression. It is the most stressful for people when their
child commits suicide. It would be traumatic. Around the bereaved family there will be gossip
or rumors from neighbors or others. That makes them stressed out too. Anyway, there are many
negative influences on people around suicides. Moreover, suicides affect someone far away as
well. A sociologist found that “Suicides increase immediately after a suicide story has been
publicized in the newspapers in Britain and in the United States, 1947-1968. The more publicity
devoted to a suicide story, the larger the rise in suicides thereafter” (Phillips, 1979, p. 340). It is
because people learn to do something due to watching or observing someone’s action, so a
probability to commit suicide will be increased after they watch that someone commits suicide.
Also, if media sensationally report a suicide story, people who watch the news will
misunderstand that it is like a hero. This is called the Werther effect. Especially, young people

6. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 6
are easily affected. People will be influenced when they watch or hear news about suicide. Thus,
committing suicide affects people far away through media as well.
Economy
Another effect of suicide is on economy. The number of people who commit suicide is
higher in terms of location in the world. Since people promote their economic growth by
working, losing people is a giant problem to the country. For instance, let’s say that a man who
is thirty years old committed suicide. If the man were alive until seventy years old, he could earn
money for forty more years. That means he lost money which he could have earned for forty
years. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is one of criterions of how to measure a
country’s economic power, is how much people earn in the country, so it obviously affects the
GDP if many people commit suicide. Here is an example:
The economic cost of suicide death in the U.S. was estimated in 2005 to be $34.6 billion
annually. When adjusted for inflation alone, this number rises to $42.2 billion. With the
burden of suicide falling most heavily on adults of working age, the cost to the economy
results almost entirely from lost wages and work productivity. (American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention, n.d., Fact and Figures section, para. 13)
Also, if the man had not committed suicide when he was thirty years old, he could have used
more money for the forty years. Using money is important for the economy because someone
will get some money as income if someone uses money. Spending money also reinvigorates the
economy.
Conclusion
Several causes such as mental problems and religion lead to suicides, and suicides bring
about a lot of negative effects on people and the economy. In a country whose suicide rate is

7. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 7
high, suicide is a huge problem. If it gets bigger, the country will collapse. Thus, in order to
avoid such a situation, the government has to step in. It is possible to prevent and solve. For
example, since people feel stressed from losing a job or financial issues, the government can
subsidize people who get fired and support them to get a new job. In addition, the government
should provide a place where people can get advice from professional advisers or therapists so
that they can consult them in terms of mental issues. It relieves them from their stress. There is
also another way to prevent suicide which is to restrict how people get to know committing
suicide. Here it is: “Education of physicians and restricting access to lethal means were found to
prevent suicide. Other methods including public education, screening programs, and media
education need more testing” (Mann et al., 2005, p. 2064). People should be away from suicides.
Suicide does not produce any positive effects; therefore, it is better to prevent it as much as
possible and as soon as possible.

8. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 8
Reference
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (n.d.). Facts and Figures. Retrieved from
https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-and-figures
CNN Money. (2013). Financial crisis caused 5,000 suicides. Retrieved from http://
money.cnn.com/2013/09/18/news/economy/financial-crisis-suicide/
Dervic, K., Oquendo, M. A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S., Burke, A. K., & Mann, J. J. (2004).
Religious affiliation and suicide attempt. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(12), 2303
-2308.
Mann, J. J., Apter, A., Bertolote, J., Beautrais, A., Currier, D., Haas, A., ... & Hendin, H. (2005).
Suicide prevention strategies: A systematic review. Jama, 294(16), 2064-2074.
Phillips, D. P. (1974). The influence of suggestion on suicide: Substantive and theoretical
implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review, 39(3), 340-354.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Suicide data. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/
mental_health/ prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/
World Health Organization. (2004). Preventing suicide: A global imperative. Retrieved from
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/131056/1/9789241564779_eng.pdf?ua=1&ua=1