I don't know specifics yet because the whole attribute system is still in flux and not completely hooked up. I'm just repeating something Kinyajuu said. He said that because of attributes dying would become more impactful and nobody would decide to get rid of an unwanted debuff by killing themselves because the consequences would be quite a bit worse.
Attributes are a new set of character stats: Strength, Perception, Fortitude, Agility, and Intelligence I believe are the five categories. All skills will be branches of these five main trunks with perks being offshoots of the skills. The fortitude attribute, for example, will replace the current wellness system in determining maximum hitpoints and stamina while actual wellness benefits and penalties will be handled by the new comprehensive buff and debuff system that can be dialed in to specific events and items.
So you can see that in just the case of wellness the attribute system along with the buff and debuff system will improve and deepen the whole concept of "wellness" beyond what we have now. In a similar way the attribute system will make it so that the developers can tune in specific penalties for death that go beyond losing what you are carrying and going to half-health and half-stamina and -10 max HP and stamina. They will be able to introduce penalties in five different areas of character progression rather than the current one dimension of a wellness penalty.