Suicide and the value of human life

 INTRODUCTION

Life is essentially a given to the human person. This gift constitute the primordial right of every human person, thus one talks about his rights when the right to life is firstly secured. Given its primacy, everyone is called to the preservation of life. However, people make attempts against life; the most irresponsible of it all is when individual persons make attempts on their own life which they are primary custodians of. The personal attempt on one’s own life is suicide. Suicide can be defined as intentional self-inflicted death with evidence that the person intended to die. Suicide is lethal violence. Suicide constitutes a serious public and mental health problem. Thus the right to life does not suppose that one can decide to take his life. While everyone has the right to life, no one have the right to suicide. The value placed on human life precedes the individual himself. The most valuable thing we have is our life. Though it is vulnerable and fragile, unique and limited by its possibilities; nonetheless, it is the only one and ultimate. Humans, being self defensive, have a natural will to live. Therefore anyone one with a desire against one’s own life is not a usual or ordinary case. However on this paper concerns itself with suicide and the value of human life.

WHAT IS SUICIDE?

Suicide is the act of man against himself. It is death caused by injuring oneself with the intention to die. However, a suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with the intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions. Suicide is associated with several risk and protective factors; it is connected to other forms of injury and violence, and causes serious health and economic consequences. For example, suicide risk is higher among people who have experienced violence, including child abuse, bullying, or sexual violence. Other characteristics associated with suicide include a history of suicide attempts and lack of problem-solving skills “Suicide is used by Durkheim as a means of demonstrating the key impact of social factors on our personal lives and even our most intimate motives. However suicide is a complex phenomenon, but it is preventable and must be prevented especially because of the value of life. Even so, every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide somewhere in the world and many more attempt suicide. Suicides occur in all regions of the world and throughout the lifespan. Notably, among young people 15-29 years of age, suicide is the second leading cause of death globally. Suicidal behavior is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.

The WHO in her report remarks that “Suicide impacts on the most vulnerable of the world’s populations and is highly prevalent in already marginalized and discriminated groups of society. It is not just a serious public health problem in developed countries; in fact, most suicides occur in low and middle-income countries where resources and services, if they do exist, are often scarce and limited for early identification, treatment and support of people in need. These striking facts and the lack of implemented timely interventions make suicide a global public health problem that needs to be tackled imperatively. Social, psychological, cultural and other factors can interact to lead a person to suicidal behaviour, but the stigma attached to mental disorders and suicide means that many people feel unable to seek help. Despite the evidence that many deaths are preventable, suicide is too often a low priority for governments and policy-makers. Restricting access to the means of suicide is a key element of suicide prevention efforts. However, means restriction policies (such as limiting access to pesticides and firearms or putting barriers on bridges) require an understanding of the method preferences of different groups in society and depend on cooperation and collaboration between multiple sectors.

CAUSES OF SUICIDE OR SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

This question itself presupposes another. Should the present state of suicide among civilized peoples be considered as normal or abnormal? Suicidal behaviour among young adults is a significant social and psychological problem; however, little research explores its meaning from the suicidal individual’s perspective. A qualitative study identified common themes and personal meanings that characterized the experiences of young adults who had made one suicide attempt between ages 20 to 24. Six major themes identified were (a) family experiences, (b) adolescent interactions, (c) emotional experiences, (d) self-destructive behaviours, (e) depression, and (f) perception of control. Suicidal attempts were viewed from the perspective of a continuous process that encompassed the individual world view and experiences rather than as isolated events. Understanding suicidal behaviour from a singular perspective is likely inadequate because psychological, interpersonal, and existential components contribute significantly to the interpretation and meaning given by an individual to their life experience; interpretations are unique and multifaceted. Understanding suicide and suicidal behaviour as multi-determined provides a broader spectrum from which to develop effective intervention strategies and therapeutic interventions. Suicidal behaviour is hypothesized to be a compilation of a painful situation, a constricted cognitive state, overpowering emotions, and disturbing relationships, and is conceptualized as adjustive but not adaptive. The distressed individual perceives suicide to be the last available option. Death provides a solution to end the conscious awareness of pain.

THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE AND SOLUTION TO SUICIDE

Life is a complex journey viewed through different lenses. However, each lens acknowledges the primordial value placed on life. The claim that human life is valuable, even sacred, has its foundation in God’s creation of humankind: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him” (Genesis 1:27). This truth imparts extraordinary value to every life, independent of gender, race, socioeconomic position, age, or health status. Those who hold to biblical creation must attach great worth to human life and will stand in its defense. Our creation in God’s image is at the heart of the biblical injunction against murder: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis 9:6). By placing His mark upon humankind, God clearly established His own authority over human life and holds accountable those who would usurp it.  Life is a sacred gift, and suicide is a desperate act by one who views life as intolerable. Such self-destruction is never condoned, but faith communities increasingly support, rather than condemn, the person who contemplates or engages in suicidal behavior. They acknowledge that mental and substance use disorders, along with myriad life stressors, contribute significantly to the risk of suicide. And they reach out compassionately to the person who attempts suicide and to families and friends who have been touched by a suicide or suicide attempt. This increasingly charitable understanding finds agreement between the historic precepts of faith and a contemporary understanding of illness and health. It renders no longer appropriate the practice of harshly judging those who have attempted or died by suicide. Although there has been substantial progress in the development of efficacious treatments for a variety of mental health concerns, such has not been the case for suicidal behavior. Indeed, while intervention efforts for suicidal behavior have increased considerably in recent decades, no corresponding decrease has been observed in the prevalence of these phenomena.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL ISSUES AT STAKE

Suicide, by definition, is fatal. Suicide also affects the health of others and the community. When people die by suicide, their family and friends often experience shock, anger, guilt, and depression. The economic toll of suicide on society is immense as well. People who attempt suicide and survive may experience serious injuries, such as broken bones or organ failure. These injuries can have long-term effects on their health. People who survive suicide attempts can also have depression and other mental health problems. In addition to the number of people who are injured or die, many other people are impacted by knowing someone who dies or by personally experiencing suicidal thoughts. Additionally, being a survivor or someone with lived experience increases one’s risk of suicide. There is a large societal consensus about the inviolability of life. This is founded in the Western philosophical and religious tradition; specifically the thinking of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas In this tradition there are three ethical arguments against suicide: it is an offense of man against him or herself, against society and against God. In the first place, suicide is an offense against one’s own life because people have a natural tendency toward self-preservation. People naturally want to live and strive to preserve their lives.

ETHICAL EVALUATION OF SUICIDE

Is there an unconditional obligation to live, how far does the duty reach to safeguard life, and how does one deal with the tension of suicide? Self-preservation of life belongs to natural law. The inviolability of life, however, remains a generally acknowledged and fundamental value. Preservation of life, therefore, is an ethical good, while suicide is an evil. Suicide is fundamentally an expression of a person’s existential quest for meaning. Existential refers to people’s existence or life. People face life in a certain way and their aim is to find and experience meaning in life. When the meaning of life is lost, life itself can become an unbearable and hopeless suffering. Such suffering demoralizes people and makes them feel desperate. To get rid of their agony, they sometimes see no other way of escape than by dying by suicide.

Suicide contradicts the natural law of self preservation, and violates the divine injunction to love oneself. It is a moral violation of the law of justice. John Paul II states that suicide “involves the rejection of the love of self and the renunciation of the obligation of justice and charity towards one’s neighbor, towards the community to which one belongs and towards the society as a whole”.

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY ABOUT SUICIDE AND HUMAN LIFE?

A summary of the church’s teaching on suicide is that we should be mindful of our lives; the preservation of our lives, body and soul is an obligation we all have.  We are called to preserve and nourish both our physical and spiritual life. Suicide violates a genuine love for oneself and one’s neighbors– family, friends, neighbors, and even acquaintances.  Other people need us and depend upon us in ways we may not even know.  The Catechism asserts, “Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him.  It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life.  We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls.  We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us.  It is not ours to dispose of” (CCC 2280). However, it is important to note that suicide is distinguished from the sacrifice of one’s life for God or another, as in the cases of martyrdom, or of offering one’s life or risking it to save another person.

CONCLUSION

Suicide violates both natural and divine law; an inordinate and immoral solution to suffering. It is a big humanitarian problem that requires the cooperation of all to defeat. The government needs to step up in the area of policy provision and implementation to address the causative factors of suicide. Quality education should be provided, the economy should be boosted and poverty eradication schemes should be set up. Most importantly awareness should be created about the moral ills of suicide; the sanctity and inviolability of human life should be re-emphasized. Additionally, counseling centers should be made available for people going through turbulent times in order to better help them in the management of depression and mental challenges.

In terms of policy implications, there are some obstacles to creating suicide prevention programs: (a) a lack of financial resources, (b) a lack of time, and (c) a lack of training opportunities. The role of the clergy is the missing link in the prevention of suicide, especially intergenerational suicide, and raises a red flag for mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers. Although collaboration between clergy and mental health professionals is essential for suicide prevention, many workers are overlooking the role of clergy in suicide prevention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pantaleon Iroegbu – Anthony Echekwube (Ed), Kpim of Morality Ethics; Genereal, Special & Professional, Heinemann Educational Books Plc, Ibadan, 2005.

 

The Catechism of the Catholic church, Society of St Paul, Ibadan 2015.

 

John Paul II. Vatican. Evangelium Vitae. 25 March 1995. 19 March 2013.

 

The Journal of Inculturation Theology, Vol. 16 No.2, Faculty of Theology Catholic Institute of West Africa, 2019.

 

World Health Organization, Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative, WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data, Geneva 2014.

 

Jacobs DG, Baldessarini RJ, Conwell Y, Horton L et al. Suicide behavior practice guidelines for assessment and treatment of patients with suicidal behavior, American Journal of Psychiatry 2003