The Wish to die and the Wish to Commit Suicide in the Adolescent: two Different Matters?

The authors attempt to demonstrate the difference between the wish to die & the wish to commit suicide as these are expressed during adolescence. Death is seen as irreversible while suicide is seen as reversible. It is noted that both of these wishes may be balanced with the wish to live. Pathology appears when there is an imbalance of wishes & abnormal developmental processes that result in two distinct activities: suicidal acts & death behaviours. The authors suggest that the two stem from different mechanisms & personality pathologies & therefore should be evaluated separately in order the better understand the differences. (29 refs.)