DEFINITION

What is Suicide?

Suicide behavior exists along a continuum. It includes thoughts, plans, or attempts to end one's own life.

• Suicide ideation: Thoughts of harming or ending one's own life. The severity of ideation is determined by assessing the frequency, intensity, and duration of these thoughts.
• Suicide attempt: A non-fatal, self-inflicted destructive act with explicit or inferred intent to die.
• Suicide: Fatal, self-inflicted destructive act with explicit or inferred intent to die.