Skjønnlitteratur, fagbøker, media. Om suicid i norsk offentlighet.

Abstract

The article deals with how suicide has been mentioned and discussed in the Norwegian public sphere, and historical changes within this field.

Traditionally, Norwegian fiction has been using suicide as some kind of literary effect, often as the ending point of a destructive psychological process.

Medical literature has increasingly discussed suicide as an independent phenomenon, not just a sequel to
established medical conditions.

When it comes to creating openness about suicide, an important development is within media coverage,
which can be related to the fact that Norwegian suicide rates increased from around 1970, and could
no longer be concealed as a social phenomenon. After the millennium, suicide has increasingly been mentioned on the internet, both in a way that idealizes suicide, and as part of suicide prevention. The bereaved are also given a voice. In addition, the article asks whether a complete destigmatization of suicide as a way of death is desirable.