title: A possible classification of suicidal acts based on Murray's need system.
abstract: Recently, Baechler (in his book Suicides) stated that the central question for suicidological investigation was: "What kind of people seek what solutions to what problems by means of suicide?" It can be argued that the principal problems of human beings relate to the frustration of their satisfaction of a variety of psychological needs. Thus, a full accounting of human needs might furnish a psychologically meaningful basis for a better understanding of suicidal events. Happily, such an explication already exists (in Henry Murray's Explorations in Personality). A classification of suicidal acts based on Murray's need system is proposed. A brief example is given.
mesh_terms: D005639:Frustration; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011340:Problem Solving; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*