An exploratory study in the Portuguese population on writing a suicide note: Correlates in the suicide spectrum and qualitative analysis

Suicide notes are an important warning sign for suicidal behaviors. The aim of this exploratory research is (a) to contribute to understanding the place of suicide notes in the spectrum of suicidal behaviors in Portugal, and (b) to analyze the content remembered by individuals regarding a suicide note. Two complementary studies were carried out. In […]

Patterns of psychosocial dynamic factors surrounding suicide notes on Facebook platforms: A netnographic approach

Background: Suicide is a global public health concern with multifaceted risk factors, necessitating exploration through qualitative methodologies. Meanwhile, studies have shown that netnography offers a promising avenue for understanding suicide-related discourse on social media platforms like Facebook. Objective: This study aims to address the gap in literature by examining suicide-related discourse on Facebook through a netnographic approach, […]

Putting the blame on others in suicide notes from Shanghai and Wuhan, China

Background: Suicide note leavers sometimes blame others for their death. The blame could reveal extrinsic suicide risk factors and thus countermeasures may be ascertained. Aims: This study included suicide note leavers in Shanghai and Wuhan (n = 555) to examine (a) who was inclined to put the blame (b) on whom and (c) for what reason(s). Method: Logistic regressions were used […]

A content analysis of suicidal notes: A preliminary study in Hungary

The present study was designed to compare the content of 113 suicide notes from attempted suicides, completed suicides and a nonsuicidal group asked to write possible suicide notes. The content analysis  examined formal, syntactical and grammatical characteristics, as well as speech patterns and verbal expressions. The letters from attempted and completed suicides had five significant […]

Differences between suicide victims who leave notes and those who do not: A 2-year study in Greece

Background: Whether differences exist between those who do leave a suicide note and those who do not has not yet been comprehensively answered. Leaving a suicide note is not a random phenomenon: A minority, varying between 3-42%, of all suicide victims leave a note. Aims: To compare the group of suicide victims who leave notes with the […]

Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes

Background: Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide postulates that suicide occurs because of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, combined with a capability for committing suicide. Aims: The present study examines the frequency of the presence of the themes of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes. Methods: A total of 261 suicide notes from 1091 consecutive completed suicides in Tasmania […]

The evaluation of suicide letters in Turkey from a cognitive perspective

Background: Different methods are used to understand the suicidal mind. Suicide note analysis may be most direct way to do this. Aims: To study the content of suicide letters under forensic evaluation in terms of psychological and cognitive aspects. Methods: A total of 51 letters were referred to The Council of Forensic Medicine from different cities of Turkey and analyzed […]

Suicide notes, attempts, and attempt lethality during episodes of ideation among suicidal soldiers and marines

Objective: Suicide remains a significant public health problem among military personnel despite expanded suicide prevention efforts over the last two decades. It is important to understand the behavioral antecedents of suicide, including the writing of a suicide note, to inform efforts to identify imminent risk. However, the completion of a suicide note increasing the likelihood of […]

Discourse analysis of attitude in selected suicide notes

The current study examines some selected genuine suicide notes using the Appraisal System as a comprehensive framework. Accordingly, the present study attempts to specify the attitude categories used to represent their mental and emotional statements. The study aims at recognising the emotional motives of suicide through discourse and the significance of language in representing those […]

Understanding for prevention: Qualitative and quantitative analyses of suicide notes and forensic reports

Suicide risk is associated with vulnerabilities and specific life events. The study’s objective was to explore the relevance of data from forensic documentation on suicide deaths to the design of person-centered preventive strategies. Descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted of forensic observations of 286 deaths by suicide, including some with suicide notes. Key findings included […]

Sexual and gender identity and note-leaving among adult suicide decedents in the USA

Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the USA, representing a critical public health threat. Suicide risks differ for different populations. In particular, the sexual and gender minority (SGM) population remains at increased risk for suicide. One of the circumstances that may differ for SGM and non-SGM individuals is the […]

Sexual and gender identity and note-leaving among adult suicide decedents in the USA

Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the USA, representing a critical public health threat. Suicide risks differ for different populations. In particular, the sexual and gender minority (SGM) population remains at increased risk for suicide. One of the circumstances that may differ for SGM and non-SGM individuals is the […]

Why choose the railway?: An exploratory analysis of suicide notes from a sample of those who died by suicide on the railway

Background: The impact of railway suicide in the United Kingdom is extensive, yet reasons for why people choose this method are not clearly understood and research into the examination of suicide notes in this area is limited. Aims: Our study aimed to utilize the unique access to suicide notes written by those who died by suicide on the […]

A qualitative analysis of suicide notes to understand suicidality in older adults

Objective Suicide is a complex multifactorial process influenced by a variety of biological, psychological, and social stressors. Many older adults face a characteristic set of challenges that predispose them to suicidal ideation, suicide-related behavior, and death by suicide. This study explored the subjective experience of suicidality through the analysis of suicide notes from older adults. […]

Suicidal depression in ancient Egypt

Objective To evaluate the oldest record of a depressed individual contemplating suicide. Method A directed review of ancient Egyptology literature of translations and discussion regarding a papyrus that is approximately 4,000 years old. Results The content of the document is consistent with a man going through a severe depression and is contemplating suicide. However, this does […]

Self-stigma and its relationship with rates of depression diagnosis: A study of suicide notes in Shanghai and Wuhan, China

Background: Self-stigma about suicide might impede people seeking help from mental health professionals. There is little research about self-stigma expressed by suicide decedents. Aims: We aimed to explore (a) self-stigma about suicide through examination of suicide notes; and (b) whether the expression of self-stigma was associated with the formal diagnoses of depression. Method: Data were extracted from notes left by […]

Dying in a foreign land: A study of completed suicides among foreign workers in Singapore

Suicide is a public health issue that impacts a nation’s resident and non-resident populations alike. Singapore has one of the largest non-resident (work permit holder) populations in the world, yet very little attention has been given to examining suicide in this population. The current study examined the case materials of all 303 non-resident completed suicides […]

Cognitive networks identify dimensions of distress in suicide notes: Anxiety, emotional profiles, and the “words not said”

Suicide remains a serious public-health concern that is difficult to accurately predict in real-world settings. To identify potential predictors of suicide, we examined the emotional content of suicide notes using methods from cognitive network science. Specifically, we compared the co-occurrence networks of suicide notes with those constructed out of emotion words written by individuals scoring […]

Pandora’s bot: Insights from the syntax and semantics of suicide notes (IN: Healthier Lives, Digitally Enabled, edited by M. Merolli, C. Bain & L.K. Schaper)

Conversation agents (chat-bots) are becoming ubiquitous in many domains of everyday life, including physical and mental health and wellbeing. With the high rate of suicide in Australia, chat-bot developers are facing the challenge of dealing with statements related to mental ill-health, depression and suicide. Advancements in natural language processing could allow for sensitive, considered responses, […]

Difference between suicide note leavers and other suicides: A German psychological autopsy study

Introduction Suicide notes are not only the last personal message from the suicide victim to the bereaved, but are also a valuable source for research in preventing suicides. However, not all suicide victims leave a suicide note and it is unclear whether note leavers are representative of the general population of suicide victims. Methods The […]

A quantitative and qualitative study of notes left by youth who died by suicide in Quebec from 1895 to 1985

The study of suicide notes and the evolution of their content could contribute to a better understanding of reasons conducive to suicide mortality and offer further prevention strategies. From 1895 to 1985, 706 coroner’s inquests of individuals who died by suicide and were 20 years old or younger were found in the province of Quebec. […]

An investigation of suicide notes: An ESP genre analysis

Suicide notes are considered important texts used to understand the suicidal act. Most studies focused on these notes psychologically to test hypothesis. Less research has been done discursively from the perspective of language studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate suicide notes, written by English speaking males and females between the years 1945-1954 […]

Revealing semantic and emotional structure of suicide notes with cognitive network science

Understanding the cognitive and emotional perceptions of people who commit suicide is one of the most sensitive scientific challenges. There are circumstances where people feel the need to leave something written, an artifact where they express themselves, registering their last words and feelings. These suicide notes are of utmost importance for better understanding the psychology […]