A suicide note or death note is a message left behind before a person dies, or intends to die, by suicide.

It is estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnicity and cultural differences, and may reach rates as high as 50% in certain demographics.[1] The content can be a plea for absolution or blaming family, friends or society for life's failings. A suicide message can be in any form or medium, but the most common methods are by a written note, an audio message, or a video.

Reasons [ edit ]

Some fields of study, such as sociology, psychiatry and graphology, have investigated the reasons why people who die by, or attempt, suicide leave a note.

According to Lenora Olsen, the most common reasons that people contemplating suicide choose to write a suicide note include one or more of the following:[2]

To ease the pain of those known to the victim by attempting to dissipate guilt.

To increase the pain of survivors by attempting to create guilt.

To set out the reason(s) for suicide.

To express thoughts and feelings that the person felt unable to express in life.

To give instructions for disposal of the remains.

Occasionally, to confess acts of murder or some other offence.[3][4][5]

Sometimes there is also a message in the case of murder–suicide, explaining the reason(s) for the murder(s), see for example, Marc Lépine's suicide statement and videotaped statements of the 7 July 2005 London bombers.

Notable people who left suicide notes [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]