[Differentiation of suicide and parasuicide. A study of the last letters of suicidal patients]. / Zur Differenzierung von Suizid und Parasuizid. Eine Untersuchung an Abschiedsbriefen suizidaler Patienten.

ABSTRACT

The paper presents a content-analytical comparison between "last letters" of suicidals (SUI) and parasuicidals (PARA). So far studies on this topic are mostly performed by "external" parameters, e.g. sociodemographic or anamnestic data. The content-analytical approach provides to describe the presuicidal situation on base of "internal" variables. Compared with the suicidal notes the parasuicidal communication can be evaluated as more ambivalent, emotionally disturbed, and cognitively restricted. The successful reclassification of the notes into the two samples by a stepwise discriminant analysis supports the hypothesis, that both groups are distinct even on base of internal variables.