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It should become apparent that suicide is more than intentionally taking one’s life.
Nero, for example, ordered an attendant to kill him. Seneca was ordered by Nero to kill himself. A
more modern example of Seneca’s plight is found in the Jonestown massacre which hundreds of
Jim Jones’ devotees were instructed to take their own lives. Seppuku, or hara-kiri, was practically
obligatory for Japanese nobility and samurai when their failure caused loss or defeat for their
emperor or lord. Are these all cases of suicide? What about borderline cases of self-destruction,
such as neglecting medical advice or excessive risk-taking (e.g., driving at high speeds,
volunteering for dangerous military missions, or excessive overeating)? Even more complicated
than the definition of a committed suicide is the definition of an attempted suicide.
3. Students should take the Suicide Quiz.
4. Next, the instructor should read through the 10 items and take a “hand count” of how many
students believe each item is true or false. In actuality, all of the items are false and constitute
common myths about suicide.
5. Next, the instructor should review statistics on suicide rates, including differences according to
gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, and other variables. Minimally, this discussion must
include the 10 items that compose the Suicide Quiz. For example, the instructor might challenge the
class to explain why men are more likely to commit suicide than women (Question 2), even though
women attempt suicide two or three times more often than men (Question 1). The answer lies in the
choice of method (Question 3); men choose guns whereas women choose pills. Alternatively, the
instructor might spend time countering the myth that people who periodically mention suicide are
not likely to commit it (Question 10). This could prove to be a transition for discussion of what to do
if a friend or family member has been talking about suicide.
6. Students should take the Suicide Quiz once more, this time read aloud by the instructor with a
show of hands whether each item is true or false. It should then become apparent that all of the
items were myths, and the class has learned much about suicide since the beginning of the section.
PITFALLS TO AVOID
1. Suicide is an intensely emotional subject; the greatest pitfall any discussion leader will face is
underestimating the impact this topic may have on certain students. It may be appropriate to give
students advance warning of the topic and the option to excuse themselves.
2. In order for the opening discussion to work well, a supportive tone must be set so that students feel
comfortable sharing personal accounts. The instructor may also want to make clear that this
information should not be shared with friends outside of the discussion group.
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3. The instructor might mention this topic the week before and invite students who want to discuss
any personal experiences regarding suicide among family or friends to meet with him or her.
4. It is important that there is no communication while students take the Suicide Quiz.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
If there is substantial disagreement over the correct answers during the initial administration of the Suicide
Quiz, it may prove interesting to tabulate the percentage of students for each item who believe the correct
answer is true versus the percentage who believe the item is false.
DISCUSSION, EXTENSIONS, AND EXPERIMENTAL VARIATIONS
1. We strongly recommend accompanying the discussion with specific suggestions on how students
should respond to friends or family members at high risk of suicide. If the instructor does not feel
qualified to lead such a discussion, it might be possible to bring in an outside “expert.”
2. Of all the discussion sections, the one on suicide involved the least amount of direct research-for
good reasons. What are some of the problems that face suicide researchers?