Suicide

Thou shalt not murder

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

• 2280. 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.
• 2281. Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.
• 2282. If suicide is committed with the intention of setting an example, especially to the young, it also takes on the gravity of scandal. Voluntary co-operation in suicide is contrary to the moral law. Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.
• 2283. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

Statistics

ULifeline:

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, and the third leading cause among all people ages 15-24.
• Almost 10% of college students seriously consider attempting suicide.
• Among adults, 18-24 year-olds attempt suicide more often than any other age group.
• More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from all medical illnesses combined.
• Of the over 15 million college students in the U.S., an estimated 1,100 die by suicide each year about 3 per day).
• Every 2 hours and 11 minutes, a person under the age of 25 dies by suicide.
• Factors that can trigger suicidal behavior in college students range from difficulties adjusting to a new environment; a lack of adequate social or coping skills; academic and social pressures; feelings of failure or decreased performance; a sense of alienation and lack of social support; or the onset of mental illness.