204 Copyright © eContent Management Pty Ltd. Advances in Mental Health (2013) 11(2): 204–206. ADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH Volume 11, Issue 2, February 2013 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Suicide bereavement and the media SUSAN BEATON, PETER FORSTER* AND MYFANWY MAPLE + Beyondblue, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia; *University of Worcester, Worcester, UK; + University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia A version of this Letter to the Editor has been published in journal of the British Psychological Society journal The Psychologist: Beaton, S., Forster, P., and Maple, M. (2012). The language of suicide. The Psychologist, 25, 731. Letters. http://blog.une.edu.au/crnmentalhealth/ 2012/10/08/the-language-of-suicide/ Permission has been given by the editor to share this letter with Australian colleagues and have it published in Australia. LETTER TO THE EDITOR – ADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH Suicide is not a sin and is no longer a crime so we should stop saying that people ‘commit’ suicide. We now live in a time when we seek to under- stand people who experience suicidal ideation, behaviours and attempts and to treat them with compassion rather than condemn them. This issue is important because of the three powerful, historical and potentially stigmatising uses to which the word ‘commit’ has been put: 1. The word ‘commit’ is commonly used in connection with religious offences. Indeed suicide is considered wrong in many reli- gions (Cholbi, 2009). Over time suicide has been regarded as a cardinal sin in some religions and is often considered a moral sin today. 2. In the past, suicide was a criminal act in many countries. For example, there was a legal prohibition against suicide in England and Wales until the (Suicide Act, 1961) was introduced. As well as decriminalising sui- cide, this Act made it an offence to assist in a suicide, which had the unique effect of criminalising an accessory when the principal has not committed a crime. The law relat- ing to suicide in Australia varies by state, but it is no longer a crime in any state or terri- tory. In the state of Victoria for example, the Crimes Act 1958, Section 6A states, ‘The rule of law whereby it is a crime for a person to commit or to attempt to commit suicide is hereby abrogated,’ (Victorian Consolidated Legislation, n.d.). 3. In many countries care for those with mental illness can be sought involuntarily (usually when the person is so unwell they are unable to admit themselves to care). This is often the only occurrence outside of committing a crime and being held, that an individual can be detained without their consent. As suicide is viewed differently by different people (with and without religious affiliation), it is not a crime in many parts of the world, and association to mental illness is not always applicable, using the word ‘commit’ within the context of suicide is not only unnecessary, it is also harmful. Suicide is a considerable public health issue with ripple effects throughout the community. Those affected by suicide (whether personally or due to the death of a person to whom they are connected) are vulnerable and often stigmatised. We need to talk more about suicide, and provide safe places for this to occur in a manner that is helpful and healthy. However, such talk is often stuck in concepts and language from the past (including the use of the word ‘commit’) that perpetuate stigma, con- strain thinking and reduce help seeking behav- iour. Those bereaved by suicide and those who have been suicidal themselves have commented on the negative and unhelpful effects of stigma- tising language (Alberta Mental Health Board, n.d.; Maple, Edwards, Plummer, & Minichiello, 2010; Sommer-Rotenberg, 1998).