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This paper aims to provide a pastoral response to the increase in the number of suicides in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper will look into the reasons and statistics related to suicide since there was a sudden spike in number during the pandemic. The See–Discern–Act method is used in this study so that the current social issue will be viewed from the teachings of the Church. First, we will discuss the reports on the cases of mental health issues. This issue has alarmed several professionals that focus on protecting one's mental health. Second, we will discuss key concepts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to present the view on suicide. Also, John Paul II's Evangelium Vitae will be cited to provide a perspective on the value of human life. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church will also be tackled to explain the Church's view on mental health and well-being. Third, we will attempt to unearth the mental well-being of some Filipinos concerning suicide cases in the Philippines in light of the Church's teachings. Hence, our goal is to provide a perspective on this problem using the teachings of the Church on human life so that we may draw a proposed pastoral theological response. Hence, we propose that the Church must provide plans for prevention, intervention, and postvention when it comes to people involved in any suicide case as these actions are aligned with the goal of the Church to take care of those who suffer from mental illness and emphasize the value of human life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines suicide prevalence among Nigerian youth struggling to find meaning in life. Frustrated by unattainable ideals, they experience despair. The study explores religion's role in providing support for meaning-seeking individuals. Utilizing an explorative approach, the paper highlights how religion can play a role in offering solidarity, morality, and hope as vital resources for creating a meaningful life. It introduces "Pastrotherapy" as a pastoral care approach to addressing existential questions. Findings emphasize the importance of religious communities and leaders in promoting resilience and addressing underlying causes of despair. This study reveals how religious beliefs and practices support Nigerian youth facing existential challenges, shedding light on the intersection of religion, meaning-making, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Hunza has seen a surge of suicide cases among youth. This paper attempts to decipher the multiple layers of meanings entailed in suicide cases. The dominant perception among the natives is the attribution of influence to supernatural beings. This paper attempts to provide insights into the supernatural cosmology and its relationship to youth suicide among the Burushaski speakers of Hunza. Using qualitative research methodology, this paper describes the local perception of supernatural beings, and their classifications as well as the role of local shamans, known in Burushaski as bitan. In this scenario, suicide is not seen as a self-destruction, but is rather a punishment by the supernatural beings owing to the violation of the sacred supernatural social order imposed by the spirits connected to the supernatural world. For the natives, both the terrestrial and supernatural spheres share common habitats and mountain ecology; however, the latter is perceived to have more powers than the former. Therefore, breach of this order is highly discouraged and bears dire consequences. What appears as mere supernatural and human conflict actually carries deeper references to social and ecological disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that the suicide attempt rate among American Muslims is at least twice the rate of the national US average and follows a different trend of suicide behavior compared to other groups. Religious leaders, such as Imams, are commonly sought out for support, but many lack training in mental health crisis management. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab created the Muslim Community Suicide Response Manual and its accompanying training modules to address this issue. This paper describes the creation, evolution, and future directions of the Suicide Response Training from an Islamic perspective to reduce suicide risk in Muslim communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over 70 years, studies have reported lower rates of completed suicide in Muslim-majority countries and individuals who identify as Muslim. To this point, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Islam and lower risk of suicide remain understudied. In an effort to advance our understanding, we convened a bilingual international interdisciplinary panel of experts for a discussion of the current state and future directions of the field. In this paper, we present an exploratory qualitative analysis of the core themes that emerged from the group interviews. We also derive a general theoretical model of the association between Islam and suicide risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a growing global health concern with complex socioeconomic implications. Understanding psychosocial resiliency factors may facilitate suicide prevention. Religious moral objections to suicide, including those inspired by the Islamic faith, appear to promote resilience to suicide. However, few English-language resources provide an overview of Islam's moral and ethical position on suicide, potentially hindering treatment of, and research on, suicide risk among Muslims. In the current paper, Islam's unanimous prohibition of suicide is explored and contextualized within the religion's foundational principles regarding the sanctity of life, the role and necessity of hardships, and one's responsibility to care for their body and to maintain their rights to their community. The role of harsh deterrents to suicide are contrasted with the impetus to show compassion to the deceased and the bereaved. Given the increasing focus on suicide-related topics such as euthanasia/ medical assistance in dying (MAID) and suicide contagion, Islam's ethical and legal position on suicide is discussed in the context of these contemporary moral issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States, recognized as the tenth leading cause of death across all age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Despite the Islamic prohibition on suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide mortality persist among Muslim populations. Recent data suggest that U.S. Muslim adults are particularly vulnerable, with a higher attempt history compared to respondents from other faith traditions. While the underlying reasons for this vulnerability are unclear, it is evident that culturally and religiously congruent mental health services can be utilized to steer suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention in Muslim communities across the United States. However, the development of Suicide Response toolkits specific to Muslim populations is currently limited. As a result, Muslim communities lack a detailed framework to appropriately respond in the event of a suicide tragedy. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by providing structured guidelines for the formation of a Crisis Response Team (CRT) through an Islamic lens. The CRT comprises of a group of individuals who are strategically positioned to respond to a suicide tragedy. Ideally, the team will include religious leaders, mental health professionals, healthcare providers, social workers, and community leaders. The proposed guidelines are designed to be culturally and religiously congruent and take into account the unique cultural and religious factors that influence Muslim communities' responses to suicide. By equipping key personnel in Muslim communities with the resources to intervene in an emergent situation, provide support to those affected, and mobilize community members to assist in prevention efforts, this model can help save lives and prevent future suicide tragedies in Muslim communities across the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing debate in the United States concerning the implied physicians' obligation to do no harm and the status of legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Key issues that underpin the debate are important to consider. These include: (1) foundational medical beginnings; (2) euthanasia's historical and legal background context; and (3) the key arguments held by those for and against legalization of PAS. This paper reviews the major claims made by proponents for the legalization of PAS and the associated complexities and concerns that help underscore the importance of conscience freedoms. Relief of suffering, respect for patient autonomy, and public policy arguments are discussed in these contexts. We argue here that the emphasis by healthcare providers should be on high quality and compassionate care for those at the end of life's journey who are questioning whether to prematurely end their lives. If medicine loses its chief focus on the quality of caring—even when a cure is not possible—it betrays its objective and purpose. In this backdrop, legalization of PAS harms not only healthcare professionals, but also the medical profession's mission itself. Medicine's foundation is grounded in the concept of never intentionally to inflict harm. Inflicting death by any means is not professional or proper, and is not trustworthy medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide among American Muslims is understudied, despite recent research highlighting increased suicide attempts among this population. While suicide is forbidden in Islam, formal guidelines for addressing and responding to suicide within Muslim communities did not exist until recently. The Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab has responded to a number of suicides in Muslim communities across North America and implemented an original model for suicide response and community healing. This approach incorporates Islamic principles and values to create a culturally and religiously congruent response to suicide that can support loss survivors and steer impacted communities toward healing. The Muslim Postvention Community Healing session described in this paper aims to provide a safe space for individuals impacted by suicide to come together and process their emotions, while also using Islamic teachings to guide the healing process. This unique model has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for Muslim communities across North America, and beyond, in addressing and responding to suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the nuances of the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to suicide. First, we analyze biblical suicide cases, showing that these were not usually met with clear condemnation. Next, we show the development of the Roman Catholic Church's moral teachings, with special attention to Augustine. The canon law of the Middle Ages still made some distinctions regarding motivation, but at this point, Roman Catholic funerals started to be refused to those having committed suicide as discouragement to others. This was maintained by the Council of Trent. In the twentieth century, the Roman Catholic Church followed modern psychiatry in attributing suicide to mental illness, and the ban on Roman Catholic funerals was lifted. Currently, the Roman Catholic Church tries to discourage suicide while accompanying people in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeno the Stoic and the biblical Job react very differently to stressors in their lives. While Zeno succumbs to a relatively minor accident and takes his life, Job withstands cataclysmic losses, survives, and ultimately is restored. While Zeno's search for meaning ends in his suicide, Job's sense of purpose enables him to survive and ultimately thrive. The essential difference is that while Zeno greatly catastrophizes a relatively minor stressor in a desperate search for meaning, Job lives a life of purpose which gives his life intrinsic meaning. This distinction may be most relevant in today's chaotic world, with so many young people striving to "find themselves" in often the most destructive ways. While Job is resilient, Zeno is not. Job's biblical faith provides the grounding for his self-knowledge. Zeno the Stoic does not seem to have this foundational self-knowledge and is searching for signs that he is not adrift in an indifferent world. For some people, at least, biblical religion seems to provide a healthy foundational view which gives life essential purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the mediating effects of psychological strain (Strain Theory) as a possible explanation for the relationship between religiosity and suicidality among Chinese young adults. A questionnaire was administered that included the Religious Orientation-Revised Scale (RO-RS), Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and Psychological Strains Scale (PSS). Using cluster sampling, we recruited 13,250 college students across seven provinces in China. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the main determinants of suicidality. We further explored the mediation effect of psychological strains on the relationship between religion and suicidality. We found that non-believers obtained the lowest PSS. Believers of Islam and other religions obtained higher RO-RS scores compared to non-religious participants. Psychological strain imposed a complete effect between religiosity and suicidality. A positive relationship between religion and suicidality was present among the participants of the study. Individuals who are affiliated with a religion are considered as a marginalized population in China, which may lead to psychological strains, further increasing the risk of suicidality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religion can exert a powerful influence on human behavior, including suicide. Research has demonstrated that religiosity can potentially serve as a protective factor against suicidal behavior, but may also, at times, serve as a risk factor. In clinical practice with individuals managing suicidality, a clear understanding of the influence of religion on suicidality is required to effectively assess for risk of suicide. In the 10 years since the article, 'Religion and suicide: Buddhism, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) and African religions, Atheism, and Agnosticism' (Lizardi and Gearing, J Relig Health 49:377–384, 2010), there has been a significant increase in research advancing our understanding of the nature of this relationship across faiths and beliefs. Consequently, this article provides an expanded and updated review of the research in the 10 years since our original publication examining the relationship between suicide and religion across Buddhism, AIAN, African religions, as well as atheism, agnosticism. The databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SocINDEX, and CINAHL databases were searched for published articles on religion and suicide over the last decade, between 2009 and 2019. Epidemiological data on suicidality across these world religions, and attitudes and beliefs toward suicide are presented. Updated recommended practice guidelines for effectively incorporating religiosity into suicide risk assessment and treatment are provided, and areas of future research are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taken up in the DSM-5, the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) is a guide for assessing cultural context of an individual's mental health problem. Unreported before, the extent to which the cultural focus of the CFI yields religious content was explored qualitatively among patients with a current major depressive episode. Qualitative data were generated by applying the standard version of the CFI first and then reapplied it by phrasing its items in religious terms. Audio-recorded narratives so derived were typologically extracted for religious content and analysed thematically. Although only one of its questions on cultural identity explicitly refers to religion, the core CFI nonetheless yielded religious themes. These were similar to the themes emerging from the adapted CFI. They expressed inter alia, anger, shame and gains through personal (rather than organised) religion. The adapted CFI resulted in embellishment of religious content and clinically important revelations that inform on beliefs about suicide and feelings of guilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a cohort of 82,898 participants from 60 countries, this study examined attitudes towards suicide among five religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and other non-specific religions), while simultaneously considering two different dimensions of religiosity: subjective religiosity and religious practices. At the national level, religiosity was an important negative predictor variable for suicide rates and an important positive predictor variable for negative attitudes towards suicide. At the individual level, however, attitudes towards suicide were found to vary significantly across the different religions. The findings emphasize the importance of considering religion perspectives and religiosity, along with its practices and subjective dimensions, in prevention and attention programmes to suicidal behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]