Research Snapshot: What do suicide notes tell us about people’s experience with mental illness and treatment?
What you need to know:
Suicide notes provide insight into the way people experience mental illness and mental health treatment. An in-depth review of 36 suicide notes from Ontario emphasizes the importance of personal control over mental illness, the struggle between the illness and the self, and how experiences with treatment can lead to hopelessness. Service providers can use these findings to help their clients reduce exhaustion and increase autonomy, or improve suicide prevention programs.
What did the researchers find?
The authors identified three main themes:
- Trying to have control over the mental illness
- Conflict between themselves and the illness
- Feeling like a failure and feeling hopeless with mental health treatment
All of these internal struggles left people feeling exhausted, and lacking autonomy over their lives.
Download the PDF version of the Research Snapshot here.
Research Snapshot written by EENet Knowledge Broker, Rebecca Phillips Konigs.
I have been to some suicides where no note was written on paper but a note was found on their mobile phone or some other electronic device they owned- so remember to look there too.These research findings are very interesting-thank you for posting
Joe
I used to work in hospital psychiatry unit before and came across in-patients who were admitted because of suicidal attempts. I also came across a few clients who had suicidal ideation or plans when I worked in a non-profit organization. But there were no suicide notes ever mentioned in all those cases.
The 3 main themes that you have identified are very helpful to identify high risk clients.
Thank you again for sharing the result of your thoughtful research!
Vivian
I'm glad you found the Snapshot useful [@mention:366671154996328745]! That is a great point [@mention:366671155005990751], I'm sure that will become even more common in the coming years - I'll be sure to pass along to the researchers.
Interesting research. I think this lends support to narrative styles of therapy, in which the client is able to be an active participant in their own story line. Thanks for posting!
This is such important information, not only for the patient suffering with mental illness and experiencing suicidal thoughts, but also important for families and friends to understand. So often I have heard people say that suicide is a selfish act. I always felt the need to suggest that the opposite is true. Those who consider suicide and/or follow through, often feel they are a burden to their loved ones when they can't manage or gain control of their mental health issues themselves. After finding my son in a deeply depressed state, through a crisis situation, and living in secret with it for a lengthy time, he expressed that he just wanted to be able to fix it himself. Thus creating an opportunity for him to learn that it can take a village of support networks to help someone who is suffering.
Thanks for sharing Elaine. You're right about those considering suicide feeling like they are a burden to their loved ones - it's adding another layer of struggle to the struggles they're already experiencing with their mental health.
Thanks for sharing. Knowing the three main themes is important. In my previous job, I worked at the postpartum depression department. I have rarely come across a suicidal note. I think they must fall into theme two, struggling with the conflict between themselves and the illness.