Objectives Unacceptable Below Average Acceptable Above Average Exemplary Score 0 Points 20 Points Student did not make any post in the discussion board Student posts were on time 0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points No reference to any course reading Makes reference to assigned readings; attempts to cite the source Makes references to course and/or outside reading material but citations do not conform to an acceptable citation format Refers to and properly cites in APA format course and/or outside reading in initial posting only Refers to and properly cites in APA format either course materials or external readings in initial posts and responses 0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points No postings for which to evaluate language and grammar Poorly written initial posting and responses including frequent spelling, structure, and/or grammar errors Communicates in friendly, courteous, and helpful manner with some spelling, grammatical, and/or structural errors Contributes valuable information with minor grammatical or structural errors No spelling, structure, or grammar errors in any posting; Contributes to discussion with clear, concise comments 0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points No initial posting Response was not on topic, the message was unrelated to assignment, and post was less than 150 words The initial posting did not adequately address the question posed in the forum; superficial thought and preparation Initial posting demonstrates sincere reflection and answers most aspects of the forum; full development Initial posting reveals a solid understanding of all aspects of the task; uses factually and relevand information; and the length of the posting is at least 150 words 0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points Student did not participate in this forum Student participated on but did not respond to other student posts Student participated but only responded to one Student participated and commented on two other student's posts Student actively participated, responded to at least two other students' posts, and replied to other students' comments on their original post. Total Score 0 Frequency of Participation Reference to Course Readings Language and Grammar DISCUSSION FORUM RUBRIC Timeliness of Forum Posting Quality of Initial Posting Module 6: Suicide Suicide: Definition An individual Act to cause his or her own death (No one else is involved) WITH The Intention to Die Suicide • Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the world o It is estimated that 700,000 people die of it each year, with 31,000 suicides per year in the U.S. alone • Many more unsuccessfully attempt suicide than actually succeed o Such attempts are called “parasuicides” Suicide • It is difficult to obtain accurate figures on suicide rates o Many “accidents” may be inte.

1. Objectives Unacceptable Below Average Acceptable Above
Average Exemplary Score
0 Points 20 Points
Student did not make any
post in the discussion board
Student posts were on time
0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points
No reference to any course
reading
Makes reference to
assigned readings; attempts
to cite the source
Makes references to course
and/or outside reading
material but citations do not
conform to an acceptable
citation format
Refers to and properly cites
in APA format course and/or
outside reading in initial

2. posting only
Refers to and properly cites
in APA format either course
materials or external
readings in initial posts and
responses
0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points
No postings for which to
evaluate language and
grammar
Poorly written initial posting
and responses including
frequent spelling, structure,
and/or grammar errors
Communicates in friendly,
courteous, and helpful
manner with some spelling,
grammatical, and/or
structural errors
Contributes valuable
information with minor
grammatical or structural
errors

3. No spelling, structure, or
grammar errors in any
posting; Contributes to
discussion with clear,
concise comments
0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points
No initial posting
Response was not on topic,
the message was unrelated
to assignment, and post was
less than 150 words
The initial posting did not
adequately address the
question posed in the forum;
superficial thought and
preparation
Initial posting demonstrates
sincere reflection and
answers most aspects of the
forum; full development
Initial posting reveals a solid
understanding of all aspects
of the task; uses factually
and relevand information;

4. and the length of the posting
is at least 150 words
0 Points 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 20 Points
Student did not participate in
this forum
Student participated on but
did not respond to other
student posts
Student participated but only
responded to one
Student participated and
commented on two other
student's posts
Student actively
participated, responded to at
least two other students'
posts, and replied to other
students' comments on their
original post.
Total Score 0
Frequency of
Participation

5. Reference to
Course Readings
Language and
Grammar
DISCUSSION FORUM RUBRIC
Timeliness of
Forum Posting
Quality of Initial
Posting
Module 6: Suicide
Suicide: Definition
An individual Act to cause his or her own death
(No one else is involved)
WITH
The Intention to Die
Suicide
• Suicide is one of the leading causes of death

6. in the world
o It is estimated that 700,000 people die of it each
year, with 31,000 suicides per year in the U.S.
alone
• Many more unsuccessfully attempt suicide
than actually succeed
o Such attempts are called “parasuicides”
Suicide
• It is difficult to obtain accurate figures on
suicide rates
o Many “accidents” may be intentional deaths
• Suicide is not classified as a mental disorder
in the DSM-IV-TR
o While suicide is often linked to depression,
about half of all suicides result from other mental
disorders or involve no clear mental disorder at
all
What Do The Statistics Tell Us?
• Suicide is the 11th most common cause of
death in the United States
• The number of suicides is underrepresented
• Medical examiners will shade the fact when there is

7. any ambiguity as to the cause of death
• Accidents are often suicides
• For self-inflicted injury to be classified as suicide the
intentionality of the action must be established
What Do The Statistics Tell Us?
• Suicide Rate = (Number of Suicides X 100,000),
divided by the population
• Not a percentage
• U.S. rate is 10.7, meaning 10 and 11 people out of
every hundred thousand commit suicide per year
• Suicide rates three times higher than those in
the U.S. and Canada are found in the Russian
Federation, Belarus, China, Estonia, Hungary,
and Kazakhstan
How Is Suicide Studied?
• Suicide researchers face a major obstacle:
their subjects are no longer alive
• Researchers use two different strategies to
try to overcome this obstacle (with partial

8. success):
o Retrospective analysis
o Studying people who survive their suicide
attempts
Suicide Patterns in the U.S.
• Completed suicides occur most often among
white males
• White male suicide rate increases with age,
but females and nonwhite males reach their
peak vulnerability earlier in adult life
• Suicide remains the third leading cause of
death among youth (ages 15-24)
Suicide Patterns in the U.S.
• Bad economic times are usually associated with an
increase in suicide
• The suicide rate is higher among people who:
• Suffer from depression or other psychiatric problems
• Use alcohol while depressed
• Deal with challenges and frustrations in impulsive ways
• Are divorced
• Lost an important relationship through death or break-up
• Live in certain areas of the country

9. Suicide Patterns in the U.S.
• States with the
Highest Suicide
Rates (in order)
• Wyoming
• Alaska
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• States with the
Lowest Suicide
Rates (in order)
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• District of Columbia
Youth Suicide
• The increase in completed suicides is greater for males,
although more suicide attempts are made by young
women

10. • Both sexes turn to firearms and explosives as the most
common method of self destruction
• Academic pressure seems related to suicide among
college students but not in a simple way
• Most of those who have gone on to commit suicide
expressed their despondency to others and made
explicit comments about their intentions
Youth Suicide
• The immoderate use of alcohol and other drugs occurs
more often with suicidal people (at all ages)
• The loss of a valued relationship is one of the most
common triggering events for youth suicide
• Heavy metal music attracts depressed and suicidal youth
– it does not cause suicide
• Teens and adolescents who frequently change their
place of residence are at a higher risk for suicide

11. Family Characteristics
Associated with Youth Suicide
• The families impose rigid rules
• Communication patterns are poor
• Parent may establish too strong an emotional
bond with the youth (smother love) while not
encouraging responsibility and independence
• Long-term patterns of dysfunction exist within
the family
Suicide Among Elderly Persons
• Since 1990, the largest suicide rate has been
among people 85 and older
• Elderly white men are the most vulnerable to
suicide (by age 85 suicide rate is 18)
• Often choose firearms as mode of suicide
• Less likely to give warning signs
• More likely to plan suicide
• Less likely to recover from an attempt

12. Suicide Among Elderly Persons
• Factors that increase the risk of suicide
• White, male, over 65, living alone, residing in a rural
area of transient inner city zone
• Social isolation
• Depression
• Physical illness
• Alcohol use
• Failure to cope with stresses
• Loss of relationships
Suicide Among Native Americans
• Suicide rate is exceptionally high at 19.3
• Compare to white males at 19.9, African American
males at 9.1, white females at 4.8, and African
American females at 1.5
• Tribal differences in suicide rates are large and
also vary over time
• Alcohol is a major factor
• More at risk in youth than in old age
• Higher rate of impulsive suicide attempts and
completions

13. Other High Risk Groups
• Vietnam War Veterans
• Survivors of Natural or Man-Made Disasters
• People with HIV/AIDS
• Frequent and Addicted Gamblers
• Targets of Schoolyard Bullies and Peer
Harassment
• “Suicide by Cop” – confront a police officer to
force the officer to shoot in self-defense
Cultural Meanings of Suicide
• Suicide as Sinful
• Judeo-Christian tradition
• St. Augustine (5th century) objected because
• Doesn’t allow an opportunity to repent of other sins
• Sixth commandment: Thou shalt not kill
• St. Thomas Aquinas (13th century) added
• Only God has the power to grant life and death
• Controversy: Is martyrdom suicide? Did Jesus
commit suicide?
Cultural Meanings of Suicide

14. • Suicide as Criminal
• Most suicide laws have been erased
• Insurance companies will pay some death
benefits when suicide occurs
• Suicide as Weakness or Madness
• Highest rates among depressed psychotics
• Survival of the fittest (and the weak commit
suicide)
Cultural Meanings of Suicide
• Suicide as “The Great Death”
• Called daishi in Buddhism (China and Japan)
• Seppuku, traditional Japanese suicide, is
personal disembowelment with a sword
• Romans (classical period) viewed suicide as
noble and glorious
• Suicide as a Rational Alternative
• Often attributed to Stoicism
• Death is preferable to a miserable life
Durkheim: Four Types of Suicide

15. • Egoistic
• Not under sufficient cultural control
• Those whose talents or stations in life give them
special status (like celebrities or creative artists)
• Altruistic
• Exaggerated or excessive concern for the community
• Anomic
• Society as cast this person aside (like the homeless)
• Fatalistic
• Society is too controlling (suicide is the only way out)
Individual Meanings of Suicide
• Suicide for Reunion
• Suicide for Rest and Refuge
• Suicide for Revenge
• Suicide as Penalty for Failure
• Suicide as a Mistake
A Psychoanalytical Approach
to Suicide
• Early Freudian Approach: What looks like
suicide is a symbolic murder of another

16. person
• Later Freudian Approach: We have two
instinctual drives
• Life instinct, Eros
• Death instinct, Thanatos
Underlying Causes of Suicide:
The Biological View
• Family pedigree and twin studies support the
position that biological factors contribute to
suicidal behavior
o For example, there are higher rates of suicide among
the parents and close relatives of those who commit
suicide than among nonsuicidal people
• As always with this type of research, however,
nonbiological factors and interpretations must
also be considered
Underlying Causes of Suicide:
The Biological View
• Recent laboratory research has offered more
direct support for a biological model of suicide
o Serotonin levels have been found to be low in people
who commit suicide

17. • There is a known link between low serotonin and depression
o There is evidence, though, of low serotonin activity among
suicidal subjects with no history of depression
• Serotonin activity may contribute to aggressive behavior
The Descent Toward Suicide
• A loss and/or trauma that deprives the person
of emotional support
• Losing hope for a satisfying life
• Sense of descending, sinking, falling slowly
into a subhuman kind of existence
• Withdrawal and communication breakdown
increasingly isolates the individual
The Descent Toward Suicide
• Constructing a façade as protection against
further emotional pain
• Suicidal trance (restricted range of thoughts and
feelings)
• Feeling trapped in a tunnel and death is the only
way out
• An impression that death is somehow beckoning

18. the individual
• A precipitating event is likely to trigger the actual
suicide attempt
Popular Myths About Suicide
• Myth: A person who talks about suicide will not
actually take her own life
• Myth: Only a specific class of people commit
suicide
• Myth: Suicide has simple causes that are easily
established
• Myth: Asking people about suicide will put that
thought into their mind and encourage suicide
attempts
Popular Myths About Suicide
• Myth: Only depressed people commit suicide
• Myth: Only crazy or insane people commit suicide
• Myth: Suicidal tendencies are inherited
• Myth: When a suicidal person shows improvement,
the danger is over
• Myth: People who are under a physician’s care or

19. who are hospitalized are not suicide risks
• Myth: Suicide can be prevented only by a
psychiatrist or mental hospital
Suicide Prevention
• Take the suicidal concern seriously
• Do not issue a provocation to suicide
• Go easy on value judgments
• Do not get carried away by the “good
reasons” the person has for suicide
• Know what resources are available
• Listen
Three Emerging Challenges
• Do antidepressants help in prevention or add
to the risk of suicide?
• What are the best ways for a vulnerable
survivor of a suicide attempt to deal with the
aftermath?
• How does social media impact suicide?
Module 6: Suicide Suicide: Definition SuicideSuicideWhat Do

20. The Statistics Tell Us?What Do The Statistics Tell Us?How Is
Suicide Studied?Suicide Patterns in the U.S.Suicide Patterns in
the U.S.Suicide Patterns in the U.S.Youth SuicideYouth
SuicideFamily Characteristics �Associated with Youth
SuicideSuicide Among Elderly PersonsSuicide Among Elderly
PersonsSuicide Among Native AmericansOther High Risk
GroupsCultural Meanings of SuicideCultural Meanings of
SuicideCultural Meanings of SuicideDurkheim: Four Types of
SuicideIndividual Meanings of SuicideA Psychoanalytical
Approach �to SuicideUnderlying Causes of Suicide: �The
Biological ViewUnderlying Causes of Suicide:�The Biological
ViewThe Descent Toward SuicideThe Descent Toward
SuicidePopular Myths About SuicidePopular Myths About
SuicideSuicide PreventionThree Emerging Challenges