Stress, Pathology, and Suicide (IN: Suicide and Self-Damaging Behavior: a Sociobiological Perspective)

This chapter discusses stress & pathology and how they contribute to the incidence & social ecology of suicide. Genetic reasons (e.g. mutation) are suggested as to why suicide may occur even though it is maladaptive. New environments given rapid technological changes mean we are being exposed to environments for which we are not biologically prepared. The effect of learning & culture also means that biological adaptation may not have as great an impact in “selecting out” suicidal individuals.