Suicide is the crime or sin of killing of oneself. This is a sin in the Christian religion (and a mortal sin in Roman Catholic tradition), as well as a very grave sin within Islam.
Scope of the Problem
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the world, claiming over one million lives globally in 1999. The suicide rate in the U.S. in 1999 was 10.7 per 100,000; the homicide rate that same year was only 6.2 per 100,000. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth 15–24 years old. White males over 85 have the highest rate of suicide, about 65 per 100,000. Suicide rates are also elevated in some ethnic groups. For example, suicide is about 1.5 times more prevalent than average among Native Americans. While whites continue to have higher suicide rates than blacks, the gap seems to be narrowing in young males. Suicides in males outnumber those in females in almost all nations, including the United States. While males are more likely to complete suicide, females are more likely to attempt suicide.[1]
Suicide in the Military
The U.S. Army reported 99 suicides in 2006, with almost half of those being soldiers/officers under 25. According to Colonel Elspeth Ritchie, psychiatry consultant to Army Surgeon General Major General Gale Pollock, the primary motivation for these suicides was "failed intimate relationships, failed marriages."[2] This represents the highest level of suicide in the Army in 26 years.
References
- ↑ Institute of Medicine. (2002). Reducing Suicide: A National Imperative. Page 33. National Academies Press, Washington.
- ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081600266.html?sub=AR