Edwin Shneidman
Encyclopedia
Edwin S. Shneidman
Edwin S. Shneidman (born May 13, 1918, York
, Pennsylvania
, – May 15, 2009, Los Angeles
, California
was a American
suicidologist
and thanatologist
. Together with Norman Farberow
and Robert Litman, in 1958 he founded the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, where the men were instrumental in researching suicide and developing a crisis center and treatments to prevent deaths.
In 1968, Shneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology and the principal United States journal for suicide studies, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. In 1970 he became Professor of Thanatology at the University of California
, where he taught for decades. He published 20 books on suicide and its prevention.
in 1918 to Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a merchant with a department store. The boy attended local public schools.
He went to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for undergraduate and graduate work, earning a master's degree in psychology
in 1940. His education was interrupted by World War II, and he served in the Army.
Afterward, Shneidman returned to graduate school, earning a doctorate in clinical psychology
from the University of Southern California
(USC). As an intern, he studied schizophrenia
, then thought to be environmentally caused, at the Veterans Administration
hospital in Brentwood
|.
while working at the Veterans Hospital in Brentwood. Becoming involved in trying to understand one case, he conducted much research into suicide notes and motivations. He formulated many terms to use in such study: as his researcher colleague Norman Farberow
wrote of him: “He is one of the brightest, sharpest, most intellectually gifted persons I have ever known,” and later spoke of Shneidman’s ability to coin new terms, such as suicidology, psychological autopsy, psychache, and pseudocide notes (notes collected from non-suicidal subjects and compared with writings in a 1957 study).
In 1958 with Norman Farberow
and Robert Litman, he founded the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. The psychoanalyst Litman acted as executive director. At a time when suicide was little studied and discussion of it was avoided, they were pioneers. Shneidman helped them get funding for the project from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). In 1966 Shneidman began working as chief of a national project at the NIH to establish suicide prevention centers, and increased their number from a few to 100 in 40 states in three years.
In 1968 Shneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology and its quarterly journal, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. (Its current president in 2011 is Michelle Linn-Gust
.)
Changes in ideas of medical care led to the end of the national project and decreases in funds for suicide prevention centers. The Los Angeles Center was combined with programs of the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center. More recently, treatment of people suffering depression and bipolar disorder
, often associated with suicide, has depended chiefly on the biological model and psychiatric drugs.
In 1970 he became the first professor of thanatology at UCLA, where he taught until 1988. He continued to write and to mentor other psychologists throughout his life.
Edwin S. Shneidman (born May 13, 1918, York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, – May 15, 2009, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
was a American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
suicidologist
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and thanatologist
Thanatology
Thanatology is the scientific study of death. It investigates the mechanisms and forensic aspects of death, such as bodily changes that accompany death and the post-mortem period, as well as wider social aspects related to death. It is primarily an interdisciplinary study offered as a course of...
. Together with Norman Farberow
Norman Farberow
Dr. Norman L. Farberow , an American psychologist, is one of the founding fathers of modern suicidology. He was among the three founders in 1958 of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which became a base of research into the causes and prevention of suicide.-Early life and education:He was...
and Robert Litman, in 1958 he founded the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, where the men were instrumental in researching suicide and developing a crisis center and treatments to prevent deaths.
In 1968, Shneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology and the principal United States journal for suicide studies, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. In 1970 he became Professor of Thanatology at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, where he taught for decades. He published 20 books on suicide and its prevention.
Early life and education
Shneidman was born in York, PennsylvaniaYork, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
in 1918 to Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a merchant with a department store. The boy attended local public schools.
He went to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for undergraduate and graduate work, earning a master's degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
in 1940. His education was interrupted by World War II, and he served in the Army.
Afterward, Shneidman returned to graduate school, earning a doctorate in clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC). As an intern, he studied schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, then thought to be environmentally caused, at the Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
hospital in Brentwood
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
|.
Career
In the late 1940s, Shneidman became interested in the problem and mystery of suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
while working at the Veterans Hospital in Brentwood. Becoming involved in trying to understand one case, he conducted much research into suicide notes and motivations. He formulated many terms to use in such study: as his researcher colleague Norman Farberow
Norman Farberow
Dr. Norman L. Farberow , an American psychologist, is one of the founding fathers of modern suicidology. He was among the three founders in 1958 of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which became a base of research into the causes and prevention of suicide.-Early life and education:He was...
wrote of him: “He is one of the brightest, sharpest, most intellectually gifted persons I have ever known,” and later spoke of Shneidman’s ability to coin new terms, such as suicidology, psychological autopsy, psychache, and pseudocide notes (notes collected from non-suicidal subjects and compared with writings in a 1957 study).
In 1958 with Norman Farberow
Norman Farberow
Dr. Norman L. Farberow , an American psychologist, is one of the founding fathers of modern suicidology. He was among the three founders in 1958 of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which became a base of research into the causes and prevention of suicide.-Early life and education:He was...
and Robert Litman, he founded the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center. The psychoanalyst Litman acted as executive director. At a time when suicide was little studied and discussion of it was avoided, they were pioneers. Shneidman helped them get funding for the project from the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH). In 1966 Shneidman began working as chief of a national project at the NIH to establish suicide prevention centers, and increased their number from a few to 100 in 40 states in three years.
In 1968 Shneidman founded the American Association of Suicidology and its quarterly journal, Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. (Its current president in 2011 is Michelle Linn-Gust
Michelle Linn-Gust
Michelle Linn-Gust, born Michelle Linn , is an American author and speaker on coping with grief following suicide, especially that of siblings. As of 2011, she is the President of the American Association of Suicidology...
.)
Changes in ideas of medical care led to the end of the national project and decreases in funds for suicide prevention centers. The Los Angeles Center was combined with programs of the Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health Center. More recently, treatment of people suffering depression and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, often associated with suicide, has depended chiefly on the biological model and psychiatric drugs.
In 1970 he became the first professor of thanatology at UCLA, where he taught until 1988. He continued to write and to mentor other psychologists throughout his life.
Legacy and honors
- 1973, the Edwin S. Shneidman Award was founded by the American Association of Suicidology, to honor scholars under age 40 for their contributions to the research of suicidology.
- 1987, he received the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public Service.
- 2005, Marian College awarded him an honorary doctorate and established a program in thanatology named for him
- 2007, he received the Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award from the Didi Hirsch Community Services Center.
Works
- Clues to Suicide (with Norman FarberowNorman FarberowDr. Norman L. Farberow , an American psychologist, is one of the founding fathers of modern suicidology. He was among the three founders in 1958 of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which became a base of research into the causes and prevention of suicide.-Early life and education:He was...
) (1957) - Cry for Help (with Farberow) (1961)
- Essays in Self Destruction (1967)
- The Psychology of Suicide: A Clinician's Guide to Evaluation and Treatment (with Farberow and Robert E. Litman) (1970)
- Death and the College Student: A Collection of Brief Essays on Death and Suicide by Harvard Youth (1973)
- Deaths of Man (1973), nominated for a National Book Award
- Suicidology: Contemporary Developments (1976)
- Voices of Death (1980)
- Suicide Thoughts and Reflections, 1960–1980 (1981)
- Death: Current Perspectives (1984)
- The Definition of Suicide (1985)
- Suicide as Psychache: A Clinical Approach to Self-Destructive Behavior (1993)
- In this text, Shneidman coins the term "psychache"—intense emotional and psychological pain that eventually becomes intolerable and which cannot be abated by means that were previously successful—as the primary motivation for suicide
- The Suicidal Mind (1998)
- Shneidman investigates three suicide attempts—one was successful, another led to death from infection several months later, and another unsuccessful—and the common features of suicidal persons. An appendix features a questionnaire completed by one of his patients, measuring her level of "psychache".
- Lives & Deaths: Selections from the Works of Edwin S. Shneidman (1999)
- Comprehending Suicide: Landmarks in 20th-Century Suicidology (2001)
- Editor — A compilation of previously published articles on the topic of suicide, starting with Le suicideSuicide (book)Suicide was one of the groundbreaking books in the field of sociology. Written by French sociologist Émile Durkheim and published in 1897 it was a case study of suicide, a publication unique for its time which provided an example of what the sociological...
by Émile DurkheimÉmile DurkheimDavid Émile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He formally established the academic discipline and, with Karl Marx and Max Weber, is commonly cited as the principal architect of modern social science and father of sociology.Much of Durkheim's work was concerned with how societies could maintain...
—one of Shneidman's heroes.- Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind (2004)
- An investigation into the suicide of "Arthur"—a doctor and lawyer who killed himself at age 33—including interviews with his family and loved ones, and responses from psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists.
- with David A. Jobes, Managing Suicidal Risk: A Collaborative Approach (2006)
- A Commonsense Book of Death: Reflections at Ninety of a Lifelong Thanatologist (2008)
- An autobiographicalAutobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
memoirMemoirA memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
.
External links
- American Association of Suicidology, Official Website
- Evidence-Based Practice in Suicidology
- "Edwin Shneidman", Audio slideshow, LA Times