The Evolution of Suicide

In this radical and reflective volume, psychotherapist and evolutionary psychologist C A Soper offers evolutionary analysis of a distinctly human behaviour: suicide. Soper’s ‘pain and brain’ model posits ancient emotion as the motivator for suicidal escape, but specific human cognitive adaptations as supplying the means. The framework also provides a basis for explaining why only a relatively small number of humans actually take their own lives.
Two types of anti-suicide systems are hypothesised, active and reactive mechanisms designed to obstruct suicide, manifest in a diversity of interconnected human psychological phenomena that are otherwise hard to explain. Among these is the intriguing proposal that some symptoms of common mental disorders such as depression and addiction, long associated with suicidality, may function as anti-suicide survival mechanisms.

Among the topics addressed:
· Suicide as an adaptive problem in human evolution.

· Nonhumans’ and young childrens’ immunity to suicide.

· The causation and course of common mental disorders.

· Psychodynamic defences, regulating the experiencing of painful life events.

· Positive psychology in autonomic suicide prevention.

· The protective role of spiritual and religious belief.

· A novel evolutionary explanation of altruistic behavior.

· The suicide taboo as a kroll system.

· Prediction and prevention of suicide.

In raising and considering key questions regarding this most controversial act, The Evolution of Suicide will appeal to researchers across a range of behavioural and life science disciplines. The book’s implications for clinical intervention and prevention will make it useful also to mental health professionals and those involved with formulating mental health policy.