The History of Suicide: Stigma, Criminalization, and How Prevention Changed Over Time (Solo Episode)

CONNECT WITH JESSI ON LINKEDIN >>> HERE!Suicide Prevention Awareness Month gives us a chance to talk about saving lives, but to understand where suicide prevention is today, we also have to understand the long, complicated history that shaped the stigma, silence, punishment, and public health efforts surrounding suicide in the Western world.In this solo episode of At Work, Under Pressure, Jessi Beyer walks through a rapid-fire history of suicide, from ancient Greece and Rome to early Christianity, medieval religious doctrine, English common law, colonial America, decriminalization, Durkheim’s sociological theory, and the rise of modern suicide prevention efforts.Jessi explores how suicide moved through multiple cultural frames over time: a sin against God, an act of cowardice, an honorable death in some Roman contexts, a crime against the king, a symptom of insanity, a social problem, and eventually a preventable public health issue. She also reflects on how ideas from Aristotle, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, English common law, Durkheim, and modern prevention organizations continue to echo in the way people talk about suicide today.Jessi discusses:How ancient Greek, Roman, and Christian beliefs shaped early suicide stigmaHow suicide became tied to sin, morality, confession, burial rights, and criminal punishmentWhy mental illness became an “excusable” explanation for suicide, but often in limited and stigmatizing waysHow suicide was criminalized in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the United StatesHow Durkheim helped shift suicide from a purely individual or moral issue to a social problemHow modern suicide prevention efforts emerged through crisis centers, national strategies, awareness campaigns, and public health workThis episode is for suicide prevention professionals, HR leaders, clinicians, educators, faith leaders, public health professionals, crisis responders, and anyone who wants to understand why suicide stigma is so deeply rooted.Because the way we talk about suicide did not come from nowhere.It was built over thousands of years, and if we want to dismantle the stigma, we need to understand the history we inherited.CONNECT WITH JESSILinkedInFree Suicide Risk Readiness Diagnostic