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Self-Immolation in High-Income Countries

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Suicide by Self-Immolation

Abstract

High-income countries are a group of nations with diverse cultural, social and economic indicators. These differences impact the quality of life, empowerment, agency, and mental health of citizens and results in changes in the prevalence of mental disorders and suicide. Studies of the determinants and demographics of suicide by self-immolation in high-income countries show different and conflicting results at regional, national and continental levels. The available literature describes a consensus opinion that in high-income countries self-immolation is a rare phenomenon, most commonly occurring among immigrants, more so in men than women, and directly associated with mental health disorders. This chapter will demonstrate that some of this construct created over time might be true, but part is a myth. The authors will provide a detailed analysis of research data and clinical experiences in order to better address the complexity and multidisciplinary challenges that academics and clinicians encounter when caring for persons at risk of self-immolation in high-income countries.

“Vous avez détruit la beauté du monde!”

Huguette Gaulin Bergeron, (1944–1972), French Canadian novelist.

“You have destroyed the beauty of the world!”

Said Huguette while committing suicide by self-immolation in a major street of Montréal, in 1972. Huguette expressed deep concerns about ecological issues. The Questions about mental health can’t diminish her message. Still, her words can be heard in the song in her tribute [1, 2].

Hymne À La Beauté Du Monde

De Christian Saint-Roch

Interpreté pour Diane Dufresne

Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Chaque fleur, chaque arbre que l’on tue / Revient nous tuer à son tour / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Ne tuons pas le chant des oiseaux / Ne tuons pas le bleu du jour / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde /La dernière chance de la terre / C’est maintenant qu’elle se joue / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Faisons de la terre un grand jardin / Pour ceux qui viendront après nous / Après nous / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / La dernière chance de la terre / C’est maintenant qu’elle se joue / Ne tuons pas la beauté du monde / Faisons de la terre un grand jardin / Pour ceux qui viendront après nous / Après nous

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, The University of Toronto, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Renato Antunes dos Santos

  2. Hunter New England Mental Health Service, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Bipin Ravindran

  3. School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia

    Bipin Ravindran

  4. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Saulo Castel

  5. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Saulo Castel

  6. Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Eduardo Chachamovich

  7. Northern Mental Health Program, McGill Group for Suicide Studies (MGSS), Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Eduardo Chachamovich

Authors
  1. Renato Antunes dos Santos
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  2. Bipin Ravindran
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  3. Saulo Castel
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  4. Eduardo Chachamovich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renato Antunes dos Santos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    César A. Alfonso

  2. Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Bengaluru, India

    Prabha S. Chandra

  3. IPPG, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany

    Thomas G. Schulze

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dos Santos, R.A., Ravindran, B., Castel, S., Chachamovich, E. (2021). Self-Immolation in High-Income Countries. In: Alfonso, C.A., Chandra, P.S., Schulze, T.G. (eds) Suicide by Self-Immolation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62613-6_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62613-6_10

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-62612-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-62613-6

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