Suicide in America (New and Expanded) - Paperback

by Herbert Hendin (Author)

In this new edition of his acclaimed work, Dr. Herbert Hendin casts new light on the problem of suicide, offering what he calls a "psychosocial perspective." Demonstrating that treatment of seriously suicidal people is possible, he also shows how our social policy toward suicide is marked by misconception. He evaluates the "right-to-die" movement, and in a comprehensive new chapter he presents a powerful portrait of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Netherlands. Interviews with the leading practitioners and proponents are included. This book has much to say not only about how we die but also about how we choose to live.

Back Jacket

Herbert Hendin's authoritative book addresses the often overlooked psychosocial aspects of suicide--for example, the dramatic increase in suicide among children and adolescents in the United States, due almost solely to the wider availability of guns. He argues that suicide must be (and often is not) discussed in a broad policy context that considers treatment for depression, pain control, and end-of-life options such as hospice care. In this new and expanded edition, now available in paperback, he evaluates current issues in the right-to-die movement, and in a comprehensive new chapter he presents a powerful--and unsettling--portrait of euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Netherlands.