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[mirrizin]

Recently picked up the game after a long hiatus, and spent my time per usual building needlessly large structures outside while winding my way through the ground, and I've been disturbed to watch nearly all of my dwarves eventually succumb to suicide.

I've built temples, established a tavern, established a library, set up some reasonably nice jail cells, a sizable hospital, tried to keep folks busy by stuffing our stores with crafts...

But no matter what happens dwarf life now seems to consist of a steadily spreading malaise of constant fistfights and fits of ever-increasing bouts of melancholia, depression and death. 

Is there a better way, or is this the norm until the next update comes along?

[Ulfarr]

Dwarven psychology is quite unbalanced since 0.44.10 (iirc) hit the selves, it was tweaked a bit in the latest two updates but there is still more to be done.

Currently there is no way to completely prevent those streaks of sadness but keeping your dwarves relatively happy should be manageable with some micromanaging from your part (monitoring happiness, enabling/disabling labors when appropriate, providing time/places for praying and socializing etc).

There is this thread in DF general discussions where people have been gathering any info on how to deal with the stress issues.

edit: wording

[mirrizin]

I did just check, realize that the library was empty, and began turning every dorf that wandered in into a scholar. One book so far. Hope it helps?

[PatrikLundell]

Books help to satisfy the introspection need. A single book can be read once by every dorf (they never read the same book twice), and so can help a bit. You can also buy books from human caravans (elves are illiterate if you judge them from what their caravans bring).
Visiting scholars can write books (and bring books and steal books: they tend to carry a book with them when they leave, and it's sometimes one they carried with them when arriving), assuming materials are available. I think the sum of the books brought and produced is larger than the sum of the books carried away, although I haven't checked rigorously.

Check the other threads on this topic, but the key to keeping most of them in a reasonable state (you'll always lose a few due to personality deficiencies and value changes) is to provide them with a sufficient set of means to fulfill a sufficient number of needs (and that includes sufficient time off to read/pray/socialize).