Examining the narrative roles in suicide notes

The present study examines suicide notes, using a sample of suicide notes from published corpora (N=50), combined with a sample of recent suicide notes from a suicide website (N=50). The present study proposes a model of differentiation in completed suicides. The characteristics of the suicide notes were analysed using a content dictionary developed by Giles in 2007, and the data subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Four themes of suicide completer were discovered: Egoistic Victim, Anomic Hero, Altruistic Professional and Fatalistic Revenger. The implications of these findings and the potential use in therapy work with suicide survivors and those with suicidal ideation are discussed, as well as suggestions for the direction of future research.