According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States today. In 2018, suicide attempts were estimated to number around 1.5 million cases alone. Dr Marilia Coutinho is a member of the Ronin Institute, a Brazilian academic trained in both the natural and social scientists—and she’s also an elite powerlifter. Scholars & Iron had Dr Coutinho on the show in January, and we’re having on her again because she will be releasing a book on suicide and its relationship to lifting, entitled “Lifting and Suicide: How Lifting and Strength Sports Help the Hopeless” published by the Ronin Institute. The topic itself strikes close to home to Dr Coutinho as a suicide attempt survivor herself, but also for the show, as Mike, one of our original members, is active with veterans struggling with suicide and societal alienation. We discussed Dr Coutinho’s motivations for writing the book, whether or not suicide, as a social phenomenon, is more than just a mental health issue, and how lifting can play a preventive role, but the culture may have some pitfalls for those who are prone to it.