Citation

Ioannou M, Debowska A. Forensic Sci. Int. 2014; 245C: 151-160.

Affiliation

International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology (IRCIP), University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.035

PMID

25447188

Abstract

The present study examined genuine and simulated suicide notes aiming to identify the measures of content that best differentiate between the two. Thirty-three genuine and thirty-three simulated suicide notes were content-analysed and data subjected to smallest space analysis (SSA), a Multidimensional Scaling Procedure. The core of all suicide notes was discovered to be constructed with the use of three variables: expressions of love, positive construction of partner and apologies. Furthermore, four different genuine suicide note themes ('planned escape', 'negative affect and self-mitigation', 'positive affect and failed relationship', 'lack of self-acceptance') and three simulated suicide note themes ('escape', 'positive affect and self-blame', 'purposeless life') were identified revealing that authentic suicide note themes were more internally consistent and clearer to interpret.

Language: en