Sometimes people with psychotic disorders will have command hallucinations. They will hear persecutory voices berating them without respite. Those voices may command the person to suicide. When suicide is attempted or occurs under these circumstances, I think it fair to say that the individual is not acting under their own volition.

Some (but certainly not all) of my clients who have attempted suicide, or who have been at serious risk to attempt, were as angry as they were depressed and dispairing. In these instances, suicide can be seen as extremely passive-aggressive.

Janie