Self-Immolation and the Mental Health Care of Survivors

Self-immolation or self-burning, is a method of self-harm or suicide that involves the dousing with an accelerant and setting oneself alight (Ahmadi & Ahmadi, Citation2007; Cleary et al., Citation2019). It remains under-reported and as such it is difficult to assess the magnitude of self-immolation. There are both cultural and mental health factors that influence the choice of and response to self-immolation and explain, in part, the differences observed globally in its use (Ahmadi & Ahmadi, Citation2007). The demographics of those who self-immolate differ depending on their country of origin, beliefs and culture (Caine, Tan, Barnes, & Dziewulski, Citation2016; Cleary et al., Citation2019).