Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Practice Test

What term describes living through an experience of suicide despite having expected or intended to die?

1. Suicidal ideation

2. Suicide attempt

3. Self-harm

4. Survivor's guilt

The correct answer is: Suicide attempt

The term that best describes living through an experience of suicide despite having expected or intended to die is a suicide attempt. This phrase specifically refers to situations where an individual engages in actions with the intent to end their life but survives the experience. Understanding this concept is critical in mental health contexts, as it emphasizes the serious nature of suicidal behavior and the importance of intervention and support for those individuals. Suicidal ideation refers to thoughts or fantasies about wanting to die or ways to die, but it doesn't involve taking action. Self-harm pertains to intentional behaviors that result in injury to oneself, often as a means to cope with emotional distress, but it does not necessarily involve the intent to end one's life. Survivor's guilt is a feeling that some people experience after surviving a traumatic event in which others were harmed or died, often leading to feelings of guilt for having survived, but it is not directly linked to the act of attempting suicide itself.