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Suicide notes in alcoholism.
A Leenaars1, D Lester, S Wenckstern
1University of Leiden, The Netherlands. draalee@wincom.net
Psychological Reports
|December 28, 1999
Summary
Suicide notes from alcoholics show similar themes to non-alcoholics, including psychological pain and aggression. Further research is needed to understand the nuances of suicide in alcoholism.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Alcoholism is a significant risk factor for suicide.
- Previous systematic studies on suicide among alcoholics exist.
- Suicide notes from these studies have not been previously analyzed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze suicide notes from a cohort of alcoholics.
- To compare themes in suicide notes of alcoholics and non-alcoholics.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of suicide notes.
- Comparison of thematic content between alcoholic and non-alcoholic suicide notes.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found between suicide notes of alcoholics and non-alcoholics.
- Common themes identified include unbearable psychological pain, cognitive constriction, and aggression (rejection-aggression, identification-aggression).
Conclusions:
- Thematic content of suicide notes may not differentiate between alcoholics and non-alcoholics.
- Further investigation is warranted to understand the specific factors contributing to suicide in alcoholism.