Evolutionary interpretations of suicidal behavior

The article presents an analysis of the understanding of human suicidal behavior in modern concepts of evolutionary psychiatry and psychology. According to the evolutionary approach, the behavior of biological organisms is aimed at maintaining or improving their «adaptation to life». Suicidal behavior is the “antithesis” of all other behavior in humans and animals, an exception to the dominant orientation of behavior towards preserving life. At the same time, suicidal behavior in humans is not uncommon. It has been observed from ancient times to the present day and is characteristic of the most culturally diverse societies, and is even more common in some primitive cultures than in high-tech ones. Among animals living in the wild, ethologists have described 4 types of “suicidal” behavior, but true “self-destructive” behavior is believed to be observed in animals only in captivity. In humans, according to the “ethological” concept of D. deCatanzaro, suicide is not as maladaptive as it seems; suicide does not significantly damage the genetic content of the population that explains its relative resistance to the effects of natural selection; and the behavior of people that is limited to suicide attempts (“suicidal mimicry”) is “adaptive.” According to cognitive-behavioral concepts, suicide is not determined by genetic factors, but by imitation and learning, since a genetic mutation favorable to suicide, from the point of view of behaviorists, would be quickly eliminated. Currently, evolutionary psychologists and psychiatrists emphasize the “fundamental randomness” of suicidal behavior and the uncertainty of assessing suicide risk at the individual level.