In Portugal, suicide is more common among older men, living in the Lisbon, Alentejo or Algarve areas, without a job, socially isolated and with a combination of multiple psychological, physical and\/or economic problems.<\/p>\n
Even so, studies indicate that both self-injurious behavior<\/strong> (any injury or aggression towards oneself, e.g. self-inflicted cuts, cigarette burns, psychoactive substances or medication abuse) as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms <\/strong>and suicidal ideation<\/strong> (thoughts about committing suicide) have increased significantly in recent years among young people and university students<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe vast majority of people who commit suicide experience intolerable psychological pain, loss of self-esteem<\/strong> and ability to bear psychological pain, isolation, helplessness, hopelessness<\/strong> and a tendency to see escape as the only solution<\/strong> to end the pain.<\/p>\nSuicide cases are almost always preceded by suicidal ideation, a previous suicide attempt<\/strong> and\/or subtle or explicit warnings<\/strong> about the intention to commit suicide. In other words, almost all people who commit suicide warn of their intentions before doing so: the important thing is to be vigilant.<\/p>\nIn young people, self-injurious behaviors<\/strong> are more common, but they don’t necessarily have the intention of causing their own death. Those behavior can be understood as ways for the individual to: transform their own psychological pain into physical pain, so that it becomes more bearable; leave clues so that others can become aware of their suffering; cry out for help. These behaviors fall under what is known as Parasuicide<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAttempted suicide<\/strong>, on the other hand, is an act that a person carries out with the intention of ending their life, but for various reasons does not succeed. Sometimes, a parasuicidal behavior that is not rescued in time can result in the death of the individual, without this being their initial intention. What distinguishes the two concepts is intentionality<\/strong>, which is intrinsically greater in attempted suicide.<\/p>\n<\/div>