「自殺」在當代台灣被詮釋為一種流行病或一個歸屬於醫療的問題，各個學科都曾嘗試對自殺議題做出評析，進而生產出各式論述與研究傳統，而當前處理自殺的霸權論述則是精神醫學。目前(2016)以精神醫學為領航之自殺防治論述似乎已佔據台灣社會的道德、醫療、民眾觀感中的至高位置，然而中華文化的傳統與台灣民間習俗在現代化與醫療化的過程之中並沒有消失。當代以前的自殺論述包含多樣的面貌，包括連接傳統家庭價值的「孝道」、民間習俗的「冤魂」禁忌與形而上的「捨身取義」，但是在自殺防治論述中逐漸被抹消，甚至被認為是有自殺意念之患者延遲就醫時間的源頭。

"Suicide" is interpreted in contemporary Taiwan as an epidemic or a problem of medical care, and various disciplines have tried to evaluate suicide issues and produce all kinds of arguments and research traditions, and the current hegemonic deal Is psychiatry. At present (2016) to suicide prevention of psychiatry seems to have occupied the supreme position of moral, medical and public perception of Taiwan society. However, the tradition of Chinese culture and the process of folk customization in Taiwan are not in the process of modernization and medicalization disappear. Contemporary suicides include a variety of faces, including "filial piety" connecting traditional family values, taboo of folk customs and metaphysical "take the righteousness", but are gradually erased in suicidal prevention and discussion, and even considered to be Patients with suicidal ideation are delayed for medical treatment.