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Rational Suicide: An Empirical Investigation of Counselor Attitudes
Author(s) -
Rogers James R.,
Gueulette Christine M.,
AbbeyHines Jodi,
Carney Jolynn V.,
Werth James L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of counseling and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.805
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1556-6676
pISSN - 0748-9633
DOI - 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2001.tb01982.x
Subject(s) - mental health , set (abstract data type) , psychology , ethical code , association (psychology) , social psychology , clinical psychology , applied psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , public relations , political science , computer science , programming language
This study investigated attitudes of mental health counselors toward rational suicide. Over 80% of respondents were moderately supportive of the idea that people can make well‐reasoned decisions that death is their best option, and further, they identified a consistent set of criteria to evaluate such decisions. Additionally, analyses revealed that as the scenario moved from client, to friend, to self, rational suicide seemed to gain in acceptability for these professionals. Implications for training and practice in light of the apparent responsibilities with suicidal clients defined in the 1995 American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice are discussed.