Citation

Eisenwort B, Berzlanovich A, Heinrich M, Schuster A, Chocholous P, Lindorfer S, Eisenwort G, Willinger U, Sonneck G. Nervenarzt, Der 2007; 78(6): 672, 674-8.

Vernacular Title

Suizidologie: Abschiedsbriefe und ihre Themen.

Affiliation

Zentrum für Public Health, Institut für Medizinische Psychologie, Severingasse 9, 1090, Wien, Österreich, brigitte.eisenwort@meduniwien.ac.at.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00115-006-2210-z

PMID

17119887

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The study of suicide notes has a long tradition. It is important to integrate this study into psychological autopsy and to make contact with the bereaved. For the first time, we present an Austrian-German study and its themes.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A consecutive series of suicides, investigated at the Department for Forensic Medicine in Vienna from Mai 2002 until April 2005, was examined for the presence of suicide notes. Suicide notes and demographic variables were integrated in an Access databank.RESULTS: A total of 29% of the those committing suicide left notes, however, the bereaved of only about a quarter allowed these to be studied. The major part was hand written, addressed to the general public or family, and shorter than 150 words. Frequent themes were specific instructions, emotions, themes regarding the environment such as the family, occupation and leisure time, and themes regarding stations of life and illness.

Language: de