It goes without saying that suicide is a major health problem and a leading cause of death worldwide (1, 2). Recent reports inform that around a million people die by suicide annually, representing an annual global age-standardized suicide rate of 11.4 per 100,000 populations (15.0 for males and 8.0 for females). Considering a time perspective from 2000 through 2016, the age-adjusted suicide rate has grown by 30% (1).

These rates are only the tip of an iceberg. For every suicide, there are many more who attempt suicide every year. A cautious estimate suggests that more than 20 million people engage in suicidal behavior annually. Moreover, it is estimated that in the future, the suicide rates are expected to rise, given the WHO’s declaration that suicide rates will pass the 1 million mark in the next 15 years (2).

Behind each suicide and attempt is a long-term struggle of these individuals as well as experiences of trauma and distress among their relatives and friends. Together, it is evident that suicide prevention comprises a global priority. As clinicians and researchers, we must make every effort to enhance suicide prevention in order to improve our identification, intervention, and, subsequently, prevention of suicide and suicidal behavior. First and foremost, our mission is to improve our knowledge of mechanisms, factors, and facilitators of suicidality from interdisciplinary perspectives.

Suicide is a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon, with many contributing and facilitating variables. It may be determined by the interaction between various factors, such as neurobiology, personal and family history, stressful events, and sociocultural environment (3). Given its being one of the most severe human behaviors, a distinct focus would be to identify the underlying psychological processes that may lead to suicidal ideation and behavior.

In the last century, we have recognized the contributions of psychological factors (both individual and social) to suicide and suicide risk. A number of models have been proposed, with most emphasizing the interaction between predisposing and precipitating factors (4, 5).

The key factor leading to suicide is unbearable mental pain (6). Several studies have emphasized the importance of psychache as the primary facilitator of suicide ideation and behavior (7, 8). Suicide can be seen as a behavior motivated by the desire to escape from unbearable psychological pain (9, 10). Other psychological factors like personality traits, emotional characteristics, and dysregulation also seem to play a role, with emerging importance to decision-making deficit among suicidal individuals (11).