suicidology

alt=David - The Death of Socrates|thumb|Socrates about to take the poison cup (detail from The Death of Socrates) Suicidology is the scientific study of suicidal behaviour, the causes of suicidality and suicide prevention. Every year, more than 720,000 people die by suicide in the world, setting its mortality rate at about 9/100,000. Suicidologists believe that suicide is largely preventable with the right actions, knowledge about suicide, and a change in society's view of suicide to make it more acceptable to talk about suicide. Suicidology draws from many fields of social science, primarily psychology and sociology but also medicine, philosophy and public health.

==Short history== Most suicidologists think about the history of suicide in terms of the history of public opinion on suicide, which has been heavily influenced by cultural, legal and religious norms. Ancient Greece held divided views on suicide: tolerated and even lauded when committed by patricians (generals and philosophers) but condemned if committed by plebeians (common people) or slaves. Roman society viewed suicide neutrally or positively, valuing life less highly. During early Christianity, excessive martyrdom and a penchant toward suicide frightened church elders sufficiently for them to introduce a serious deterrent. Suicide was thought of as a crime because it precluded possibility of repentance, and it violated the sixth commandment which is Thou shall not kill. During this time, St. Thomas Aquinas emphasized that suicide was a mortal sin because it disrupted God's power over man's life and death. This belief took hold and for hundreds of years thereafter played an important part in the Western view of suicide.