Suicide and stigma: a review of the literature and personal reflections

The authors aim to educate mental health practitioners and trainees regarding the issues of stigma and suicide and how stigma impacts this diverse population of suicide attempters, completers, their families, friends, therapists, and others both personally and therapeutically.

The authors draw upon their own experiences as survivors and review pertinent literature illustrating the history and general impacts of this stigmatization. The authors present suggestions to diminish stigma both for survivors and the general public.

Although there appears to have been some diminution in the stigmatization of the mentally ill over the past few decades, there appears to be less diminution in the stigma associated with suicide and suicide-survivorship.

Mental illness, in general, has become less stigmatized in recent years, but suicide remains nearly as stigmatized as ever.