How can one induce psychogenic death?

Leach's hypothesis is based upon case reports of prisoners of war subject to the most severe forms of incarceration and profound deprivation. A minority of prisoners reportedly completely withdrew and ceased any form of goal directed behaviour (eating, drinking etc.). Presumably, the prisoner's 'giving up' was in response to their self-evaluation that survival was impossible in the circumstances.

Leach, J. (2018). ‘Give-up-itis’ revisited: Neuropathology of extremis. Medical hypotheses, 120, 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2018.08.009

I am wondering if it can be induced by desire.

Psychogenic death refers to death triggered by psychic stimuli. The individual finds himself in a situation where external forces have lead to a restriction of his world and in addition, believes that this situation is unalterable.

Freud called this the death-drive. Except no person of his own volition would drive himself to death. This is obvious. The force of life is strong in every kind of being. The key here is the external 'psychic stimuli' that triggers this so called death-drive as well as the external factors that brings about this confluence of psychic factors. Thus to think of this as a 'desire' is to misunderstand the psychology of the situation as well as to misunderstand what is meant by desire. So no.

I think it can by [sic] a person being lazy and not caring about the world. It is said to happen with prisoners of war.

One situation which demonstrates this is carceral solitary confinement with little or no meaningful contact. There has been a great deal of legal argument as to whether this constitutes torture and/or cruel and unusual punishment. For this reason International law discourages its use within penal institutions, and prohibits it entirely for juveniles whereas the US actively encourages it. Anna Conley writes:

One of the most serious human rights violations is occurring today throughout the US. In US jails and prisons, individuals are held in solitary confinement for weeks, months and even years. Solitary confinement can cause significant psychological damage, including cognitive delays, increased suspicion and paranoia, increased anxiety, fear, aggression and hostility, heightened feelings of helplessness and depression, and increased thoughts and attempts at self-mutilation and suicide. Many individuals held in this severe form isolation are juveniles or individuals with serious mental illnesses, to whom it is particularly damaging.

Although solitary confinement is common in the rest of the world, nowhere is it more prevalent as a long-term prisoner management tool than the US.

US courts have found solitary confinement is a violation of the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution in certain cases, yet the practise persists.

Refs:

• Torture in US Jails and Prisons: An analysis of Solitary Confinement under International Law, Anna Conley, Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law.

• The Psychogenic death of Mr. J. A., A Case Report, K. D. Stumpfe, Psychosom. Med. Psychoanal.