Who Leaves Suicide Notes? An Exploration of Victim Characteristics and Suicide Method of Completed Suicides in Queensland

Abstract

The objective of this study is to address the question: are those who leave suicide notes representative of the larger population of those who commit suicide? The method involves an analysis of a full population of suicides by residents of Queensland, Australia for the full year of 2004, with the information drawn from Coronial files. Our overall results suggest that, and in support of previous research, the population who leaves suicide notes are remarkably similar to those who do not. Differences are identified in four areas: first, and in contrast to prior research, females are less likely to leave a suicide note; second, and in support of previous research, Aboriginal Australians are less likely to leave suicide notes; third, and in support of some previous research, those who use gas as a method of suicide are more likely to leave notes, while those who use a vehicle or a train are less likely to leave notes; finally, our findings lend support to research which finds that those with a diagnosed mental illness are less likely to leave notes. The discussion addresses some of the reasons these disparities may have occurred, and continues the debate over the degree to which suicide notes give insight into the larger suicide population.

Keywords:

• suicide
• suicide method
• suicide notes
• victim characteristics

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The study relies on data from a project funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant (LP0455035).

Notes

¹In late 2003, the new Coroner's Act 2003 (Qld) introduced significant changes to the way coronial matters are dealt with for deaths occurring on or after 1 December 2003. One of these changes was the requirement for more comprehensive records to be kept by the police in attendance at the scene of a death. This legislative change means that, since December 2003, more comprehensive information is available about the circumstances of the death.

²The 2006 SEIFA indexes are the closest in time to our study period.

³Due to the large known disparities, we have included Indigenous status in the model, despite the small number of suicide victims (n = 28) who are identified as Indigenous.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Belinda Carpenter

Belinda Carpenter, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Christine Bond

Christine Bond, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Gordon Tait

Gordon Tait, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Moira Wilson

Moira Wilson. School of Justice, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD, Australia.

Kris White

Kris White, School of Justice, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD, Australia.