Citation

McDowell CP, Rothberg JM, Koshes RJ. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 1994; 24(3): 213-223.

Affiliation

Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Bolling AFB, DC 20332-6001.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7825194

Abstract

Suicides that take place in the presence of others have not been the topic of systematic scientific inquiry. The so-called witnessed suicides account for a small percentage of all suicides but offer a unique view into the dynamics of self-destructive behavior. An epidemiologic and forensic description of 50 witnessed suicides drawn from a 15-year series of over 1,000 cases is presented. A taxonomy is developed based on the role played by the witness and related to previous work on self-destructive behavior and its motivation. Brief vignettes are used to illustrate some of the interpersonal dynamics associated with these deaths.