NOTES - SUICIDE TAPE
I. Hypothetical Suicidal Person
socio-cultural variables (age, sex, state, county, pol-econ.)
unrealistic "love" in value system
achievement (high role expectations)
family (importance of mother)
decline of self-worth; self criticism; guilt ridden
behavior which goes unrewarded, while all behavior is seen as failure; guilt (never good enough); self-destruction
Anglo-Saxon notion of achievement
identify deprivation (intra and inter-personal development)
inflexibility in behavior
attempt vs. accomplished suicide (l/50-l00 ratio)
II. Identity Theories (and their relation to suicide)
threaten leads to attempt leads to suicide (is a "career")
Symbolic Interaction - all reference point to "others"
ego-psychologist also tell us of the importance of "others" in the development of
identity formation. (seen in theories of Baldwin, Mead, Goffman, Cooley, etc.)
conduct is not "I" but response to acts
Lichenstein's work stresses importance of mother in interpersonal development and in
family interaction and creates identity theme
Goffman work stresses notion of "stigma" as part of identity formation; one's spoiled
"identity" is "stigma" and person is reduced to discredited person (person
requires significant others)
Erikson's eight stages of identification are individual and social, complimentary role
integration and synthesis in group:
l) trust vs. mistrust (0-l years of age)
2) autonomy vs shame and doubt (2)
3) initiative and guilt (4 years)
4) industry vs. inferiority (6-ll)
5) identity and identify confusion
6) intimacy vs. isolation (young adult)
7) generality vs stagnation (adulthood)
8) integrity vs. despair/disgust
negative identity embraces opposition of ego ideal that society places on
individual (role expectations)
III. Childhood/Adolescent Suicide
interpersonal vs. intra personal (more common in older person)
male and female differences (although suicide is higher among males, and the use of
firearms
affiliated with feelings of shame; guilt; despair; loneliness; blame of love object; self-
failure; lacking confidence and seeing expectations far beyond what one can
accomplish; female suicide often linked to abandonment by family and/or lover;
shy, lonely, never achieve; inflexible; poor self image
identity less existent in children since identity hasn't formed
700-800 suicides annually are in this category
inter-personal involving "others"
middle of identity confusion and receive little satisfactions; feels inferior; insecure;
mistrustful of others; detachment
female syndrome is to feel abandoned by lover
has few friends and is shy
desperate reaction to never being able to achieve
inflexible
IV. Middle Age
interpersonal - marital partner is involved
rejection by symbiotic partner
male involves problems involves and work; while female involves being abandoned by
lover
male in this age gambles with death
three conditions necessary: suicidal person; available methods; and unavailability of
counselor or intervention/preventive circumstances
V. Age and Suicide
to alleviate pain and emotion; more lethal in adults than in young
change in life situation which is unacceptable to the person;
change occurs in identity; loss of friends and network, job, home, health; bonds
of integration are gone
society has degrading attitude toward the aged; routinization and detachment are
are existent in nursing homes and other institutions for the sick and elderly
nursing homes are examples of identity deprivation ("demoralization process and
career") therefore identity, sense of integrity is lost, meaninglessness; meaningful
sources of identity and significant others are taken away
VI. Identity Reformation
brainwashing is technique which creates discomfort with existing environment
identity deprivation is withdrawing from lifelong interpersonal relationships with others