Pyschological and Sociological Theoretical Explanations of Suicide - Essay Example

Psychological and Sociological Theoretical Explanations of Suicide Sigmund Freud explained the psychological theories of suicide. “To him, suicide was essentially within the mind” (Craighead & Nemeroff, 2002, p.1653). Freud described suicide as a kind of belligerence or stress that builds up inside a person and results in animosity toward his own self. The melancholy or dejection is so great that it keeps the frustration from coming out which then nurtures inside and leads to the killing of one’s own self.

Also, it is a result of psychological conflict that occurs when the person’s guilt of failing in life exceeds his ability to deal with that guilt. The hopelessness theory also well defines the psychological aspect of suicide which, according to Beck’s concept of the cognitive triad, makes a person think negatively about himself, his future and the world around him (1979).