background Suicidality is considered to be a facultative symptom of certain psychiatric disorders.
aim To provide evidence in support of the view that suicidality is not only a symptom of other disorders or comorbid with them but is often a disorder in its own right.
method We conducted a review of the literature.
results Suicidality manifests itself as a disorder in its own right without any one-to-one relationships with other psychiatric or somatic disorders or illnesses.
conclusion Suicidality has specific features of its own such as susceptibility to interindividual contagion. By preventing suicide we may be able to forestall the development of other types of ill-health and thus improve the quality of the life that has been saved.