Suicide and Islam

Lester, David

doi:10.1080/13811110500318489

Cited by 198 publications

(116 citation statements)

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“…Durkheim (1897) noted and tried to explain the fact that Protestants have higher suicide rates than Roman Catholics, while it has long been known that Muslims have lower suicide rates than Christians (Lester 2006). There has been a great deal of research and theorizing about the role of religion, religiosity, and spirituality in increasing the risk of suicidal behavior versus acting as a protective factor for suicidal behavior.…”

Section: Abstract: Religiosity; Suicidal Ideation; Attempted Suicidementioning

confidence: 99%

Does Religiosity Predict Suicidal Behavior?

Lester

2017

Religions

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Research was reviewed on whether self-report measures of religiosity were a protective factor against suicidal behaviors. It was found that scores on Francis's measure of religiosity was negatively associated with non-lethal suicidal behavior (ideation and attempts), a protective effect. Similarly, it was found that intrinsic religiosity (but not extrinsic religiosity) was negatively associated with non-lethal suicidal behaviors. However, these associations were weak. Research is needed on the issue whether counselors can use their patients' religiosity to reduce the risk of dying by suicide. Keywords: religiosity; suicidal ideation; attempted suicideThe association of religion and suicide has long been of interest. Durkheim (1897) noted and tried to explain the fact that Protestants have higher suicide rates than Roman Catholics, while it has long been known that Muslims have lower suicide rates than Christians (Lester 2006). There has been a great deal of research and theorizing about the role of religion, religiosity, and spirituality in increasing the risk of suicidal behavior versus acting as a protective factor for suicidal behavior. 1 In a meta-analysis of nine studies, Wu et al. (2015) found significant protective effects of religion (as measured by church/temple attendance or claiming/practicing a religion) on completed suicide. This effect was found to be stronger in studies conducted in Western cultures, in areas with high religious homogeneity, and among older populations. Sisask et al. (2010) also reported cross-cultural differences in the protective effects of three dimensions of religiosity (religious denomination, subjective religiosity, and organizational religiosity) for attempted suicide. The strongest protective effect across the different study sites, such as Brazil, Estonia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Sri Lanka, was found for subjective religiosity, that is, considering oneself to be a religious person, while the results for the more objective indicators of religiosity were mixed. The present chapter focuses on the association between religiosity and suicidal behavior in individuals. Since the research on this association involves self-report questionnaires, 2 the suicidal behavior is limited to suicidal ideation and, occasionally attempted suicide. Furthermore, we will focus more on our own research, but not to the exclusion of the research of others.

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Section: Abstract: Religiosity; Suicidal Ideation; Attempted Suicidementioning

confidence: 99%

Does Religiosity Predict Suicidal Behavior?

Lester

2017

Religions

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“…The rates of suicide mortality vary among countries (Nock, Borges, Bromet, Alonso, Angermeyer, Beautrais, et al 2008), and nonfatal suicidal behaviors are the most powerful proximal risk factor for suicidal mortality. Contingent upon their religious traditions Muslim nations especially the Arab countries report the lowest suicide rates (Lester, 2006 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicidal Behavior and Psychological Distress in University Students: A 12-nation Study

Eskin

Sun

Abuidhail

et al. 2016

Archives of Suicide Research

193

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Arabia, and to some extent in Turkey, reduced ORs were observed for Austria, China, Italy, Japan and the USA. Elevated ORs for psychological distress were seen in Japan, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey but reduced ORs were noted in Austria, China, Iran, Italy and the USA. Psychological distress was strongly associated with reports of suicide ideation and attempts. Suicide ideation, suicide attempt and psychological distress are common in university students but their rates vary depending on the sociocultural context. Permanent repository linkDue attention should be devoted to the mental health needs of young adults enrolled in higher educational institutions and more cross-cultural research is warranted to better understand the etiology of the observed intersocietal variations in suicidal behavior and psychological distress.

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“…More than a third of all suicides among Israeli Arabs in recent years occur in 15-24 years old individuals in comparison to less than 20% in the case of Israeli Jews [21,52]. This finding may reflect the ever growing stress in which young Israeli Arabs may find themselves particularly in recent years, torn between their relations with the Jewish Israeli majority that does not always accept them as equals, and their ambivalence towards their Palestinian neighbors.…”

Section: Suicide In Israeli Arabsmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Another interesting finding relates to the relatively high suicide rate among 15-24 years old Israeli-Arabs, being higher in this cohort than in any other age group [21,52]. More than a third of all suicides among Israeli Arabs in recent years occur in 15-24 years old individuals in comparison to less than 20% in the case of Israeli Jews [21,52].…”

Section: Suicide In Israeli Arabsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Suicide in Judaism with a Special Emphasis on Modern Israel

Witztum

Stein

2012

Religions

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Judaism considers the duty of preserving life as a paramount injunction. Specific injunctions against suicide appear in the Bible, Talmud, and thereafter. Nevertheless, Jewish tradition emphasizes that one should let himself be killed rather than violate cardinal rules of Jewish law. Mitigating circumstances are found for the six deaths by suicide mentioned in the Bible, for example to account for one's sins, or avoid shameful death. Heroic suicide is praised throughout the Jewish history, from the suicide of Samson and the collective suicide in Masada, to the collective readiness of Jews in Medieval times and during the Holocaust to kill themselves rather than succumb to their enemies. Suicide rates for Jews are lower than those of Protestants and Catholics. Similarly, suicide rates in Israel are lower in comparison to Europe and North America, although being higher than those in most Moslem Asian and North African countries. This low rate of suicide is found in Jewish Israelis of all ages, including in adolescents. Elevated suicidal risk may be found in specific sub-populations, including male Israeli soldiers, immigrants from the former USSR and Ethiopia, in particular adolescent immigrants from the former USSR, elderly Holocaust survivors, and young Israel-Arab women. The meaning of these findings is discussed according to different socio-cultural perspectives. 726"Of all religions, Judaism counts the fewest suicides, yet in none other is education so general . . . But if the Jew manages to be both well instructed and very disinclined to suicide, it is because of the special origin of his desire for knowledge. It is a general law that religious minorities, in order to protect themselves better against the hate to which they are exposed, or merely through a sort of emulation, try to surpass in knowledge the population surrounding them . . . Primitive in certain respects, in others [the Jew] is an intellectual and man of culture. He thus combines the advantages of the severe discipline characteristic of small and ancient groups, with the benefits of the intense culture enjoyed by our great society. He has all the intelligence of modern man without sharing his despair" [1].

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Suicide and Islam

Cited by 198 publications

References 85 publications

Does Religiosity Predict Suicidal Behavior?

Does Religiosity Predict Suicidal Behavior?

Suicidal Behavior and Psychological Distress in University Students: A 12-nation Study

Suicide in Judaism with a Special Emphasis on Modern Israel

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