[Suicidality].

Suicidality has always been a part of human history. No thinking or behavior has however gone through such a range of judgments in the course of time. As a "medical-psychosocial paradigm" suicidality now involves a wide range of medical, psychosocial, theologic, and philosophic fields. For dealing psychiatrically with suicidal patients as part of a psychosocial, psychotherapeutic treatment method, a summary is presented of forms, epidemiology, models of development and etiopathogenesis, and the prevention and therapy of suicidal behavior.