Not even close

When someone commits self-immolation (or goes on a hunger strike, for that matter) it doesn't make anyone think he must be mentally ill; it makes them think he is radically committed to a cause. When a pedophile brandishes a gun saying he wants to kill himself, he paints himself as someone who is unhinged and who wants to be put out of his misery. As crazy as it is to set yourself on fire, one of these scenarios communicates dignity, discipline and strength of character and the other does not. One of them chooses to face great suffering and the other is merely trying to escape it like a squirming rodent.