Scott Alexander defends psychiatric treatment for suicide attempts, arguing that most are impulsive decisions by people with treatable mental disorders rather than rational choices. Longer summary

Scott Alexander argues in favor of psychiatric treatment for attempted suicide, emphasizing that while there may be rare cases of rational suicide, most attempts are impulsive decisions made by people with mental disorders. He presents evidence that the majority of suicide attempters later regret their actions and that psychiatric treatment can significantly reduce suicide rates. The post discusses statistics on mental disorders among suicide attempters, the temporary nature of many suicidal crises, and the effectiveness of psychiatric interventions. Scott also addresses common misconceptions about psychiatric hospitalization and argues that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for most patients. Shorter summary