Suicide terminology

Historically, suicide terminology has been rife with issues of nomenclature, connotation, and outcomes, and terminology describing suicide has often been defined differently depending on the purpose of the definition (e.g., medical, legal, administrative). A lack of agreed-upon nomenclature and operational definitions has complicated understanding. In 2007, attempts were made to reach some consensus. There is controversy regarding the phrase "to commit suicide" as some view it as implying negative moral judgment and having an association with criminal or sinful activity.

In 2020, a meta-analysis of studies on the effects of media coverage of suicide found that "Reporting of deaths of celebrities by suicide appears to increase the number of suicides by 8-18% in the next 1-2 months, and information on method of suicide was associated with an increase of 18-44% in the risk of suicide by the same method."