Variation in the Incidence of Self-Immolation According To Culture and Income Level: A Literature Review

Self-immolation is most commonly observed in the Middle East and Western Asia. It is far less common in the Western world. Documented cases in the West indicate that victims are more likely to be immigrants, indicating that there may be cultural influences that motivate this behavior. We have performed a literature review on self-immolation in order to better understand the cultural differences behind selfimmolation and the psychopathology related to this specific behavior. Variation in the Incidence of Self-Immolation According To Culture and Income Level: A Literature Review Sarah L1,2 and Prat SS*3,4,5 1Unité de consultation et de soins ambulatoires de la Maison d’Arrêt de Tours, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Tours, France 2Urgences psychiatriques, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Tours, France 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada 4Forensic Psychiatry Program, St Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Canada 5E.A.2114 Psychologie des âges de la vie, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France *Corresponding author: Prat SS, Forensic Psychiatry Program, McMaster University, St Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Canada, Tel: +1 905 522 1155, Fax : +1 (905) 381-5604, E-mail: prats@mcmaster.ca