Thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes

Background: Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide postulates that suicide occurs because of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, combined with a capability for committing suicide.

Aims: The present study examines the frequency of the presence of the themes of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness in suicide notes.

Methods: A total of 261 suicide notes from 1091 consecutive completed suicides in Tasmania were rated for the presence of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. Results: Contrary to the theory, few suicide notes were found to include perceived burdensomeness (10.3%) and thwarted belongingness (30.7%), and only 4.2% had both themes. The notes of women more often contained the theme of perceived burdensomeness, while the notes of younger suicides more often contained the theme of thwarted belongingness.

Conclusions: Joiner’s theory of suicide may apply to only a small percentage of suicides who leave suicide notes.