SUICIDE

Free will at the edge of the abyss

Abstract

Suicide represents one of the most severe and neglected global public health crises, with data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicating hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths annually. Beyond an individual event, it must be understood as a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, rooted in ethical, philosophical, and social grounds. Certain groups are disproportionately vulnerable: men, due to violent socialization and the tendency to suppress emotions; users of psychoactive substances and people with mental disorders, such as depression, without access to adequate care; and marginalized and minoritized populations, daily exposed to structural violence, exclusion, and precarious living conditions. This article aims to outline a historical-philosophical overview, highlighting some cases of public prominence, to give visibility to a topic often shrouded in silent taboo. To the extent that it must be understood as a complex phenomenon, of historical, cultural, individual, and collective nature, addressing suicide openly is not only a preventive measure but also a political act of confronting the inequalities that turn lives into disposable items.