Deconstructing witnessed suicide: A portrait of those who die by suicide in front of others

Witnessed suicides can have devastating effects on the individuals who observe them. McDowell et al. (Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 24(3), 213-223, 1994) have been the only researchers to create a taxonomy for the motivations of individuals who died by suicide in front of witnesses, and the role played by those witnesses. Their categories, based on 50 cases within a military population, included reciprocal abandonment, violent divorce, Russian roulette, and homicidal rage. The present study examines 100 witnessed suicides that occurred between the years 2000 and 2009 in a non-military population. In general, the taxonomy created by McDowell et al. was applicable to decedents in the present study, except for the category of Russian roulette. Some of the terminology was updated and a new category of legal entanglement was created. The creation of this new taxonomy of witnessed suicide permits further understanding of the characteristics of individuals who end their lives in front of a witnesses, and their communications behind the suicidal act.

Automated summary

Witnessed suicides can have devastating effects on individuals who observe them. McDowell et al. were the only researchers to create a taxonomy for the motivations of individuals who died by suicide in front of witnesses. Their categories, based on 50 cases within a military population, included reciprocal abandonment, violent divorce, Russian roulette, and homicidal rage. The present study examined 100 witnessed suicides that occurred between 2000 and 2009 in a non-military population, updating some terminology and creating a new category of legal entanglement, providing further understanding of the characteristics of individuals who end their lives in front of witnesses.