Suicide is defined as the direct and willful destruction of one's own life. Death is considered suicide when accidental or natural causes are ruled out and the circumstances surrounding the death are consistent with suicide. There are several potential causes of suicide, including religious or cultural factors, personal issues, financial problems, and social/political causes. Religious or cultural causes may include values around dying for one's country or acts of self-immolation. Personal causes can involve relationship issues, parental relationships, exam failure, or mental health issues. Financial causes may stem from poverty or monetary loss, while social and political causes could be a protest or response to a failed coup attempt.

1. Meaning and Causes of
Suicide
Prepared by: Kris Dennenese

2. “Did you really want to die? No one
commits suicide because they want
to die. Then why do they do it?
Because they want to stop the pain.”
– Tiffanie DeBartolo

3. Meaning of Suicide:
 direct, willful destruction of one’s
own life
--direct
--willful
--destructive

4. Death is considered to be a suicide
when accidental death and natural
causes are ruled out and the
circumstances of the situation
surrounding the death are consistent
with suicide (WHO, 2002).

5. Causes of Suicide:
Religious or Cultural
Personal
Financial
Social

6. Religious or Cultural
values and beliefs held by individuals
Examples:
 dying for one’s own country
 self-immolation
 self-starvation

7. “Suicide poses an ethical issue that is
ultimately a matter of values and how we
reason about them. The story of what
various people have thought and done about
suicide does not settle the problem of what is
right and good about it” (Fletcher, 1990).

8. Personal
o misfortune and frustration of love and
marriage
o parental indifference
o in-laws problems
o failure in examination
o loss of honor and integrity
o nervous breakdown

9. Financial
o poverty and impoverishment
o great loss of money

10. Social and Political
o failed coup d’etat
o protest against man’s inhumanity

11. References:
 Ethics: Basic Concepts and Contemporary Moral
Issues (Gualdo, R. et.al)
 Alloway, J. (2005). Adolescent constructions of
the meaning of suicide (Order No. 3166512).

12. “When people kill themselves, they
think they’re ending the pain, but all
they’re doing is passing it on to those
they leave behind.” – Jeannette Walls
Thank you for listening!
~  ~