Irrational Foundations of Suicide

Abstract

The article discusses theoretical studies on suicides and suicidal behavior, discusses the features of the development of this phenomenon in different social groups, provides a general typology of studies already conducted through the prism of understanding the impact of social experience (external pressure factors, crisis, stressful situations) and intrapersonal problems (related to personality traits, socialization and adaptation of a person to external influences and internal experiences and processes). The paper also presents the results of a comprehensive study of the irrational foundations of suicide. The first is based on an analysis of the materials of a quantitative survey of Russians (n-1200) conducted in 2022 in all regions of the Russian Federation. The second one is constructed on the interpretation of qualitative data ‒ the analysis of expert interviews (n-18), psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, philosophers, criminologists. The third is the analysis of articles and publications in social networks devoted to suicides and promoting suicidal behavior (n-1620), which made it possible to identify key semantic lexemes that indicate the main causes and factors in the development of suicidal behavior and suicides. As a result of the study, we identified nine of them: 1) age (17–21, 40–45, 55–65); 2) limitation of emotional and sensory experience; 3) difficulties in building communications due to their own incompetence or limited opportunities; 4) problems of self-determination in society (conflict with a group, forced confrontation ‒ in the family, at work, among friends); 5) weakly expressed own worldview; 6) feeling of loneliness; 7) a sharp stratification of people in terms of the level and quality of life; 8) social inertia and frustration; 9) destructive hobbies (drug addiction, drunkenness). The use of these research methods made it possible to supplement and expand the initial materials and data of the work, to reveal the potential for interaction at the methodological and practical level and to identify several prospects for topics for further scientific research. It is indicated that the quality of life is based on the ability to predict the future, the prevention of suicidal behavior and suicide can become the basis for social stability and social reproduction.