Do the Psychological Characteristics of the Suicidal Individual Make a Difference in the Method Chosen for Suicide?

Presents an archival study as to whether the method chosen for suicide is important psychologically that involved the assessment of 8 patterns as possible predictors of suicide notes &, by implication, suicide. Independent judges scored the content of the suicide notes from completed suicides for whom the method of suicide was known. No differences were noted. Results suggest that the conception that psychological characteristics may be important in the method chosen is a myth. 40 refs.