Experience of loss in famous suicides

Journal/Book: Psychol Rep. 1998; 82: P O Box 9229, Missoula, MT 59807. Psychological Reports. 1090-1090.

Abstract: Lester (1989) reported that half of a sample of 30 famous suicides had experienced loss of a parent or parent substitute during the first 18 years of life. Later Lester (1994) noted that 25% of a further sample of famous suicides had experienced loss of a parent during the first 18 years of life. The sample now includes 70 individuals famous enough for there to appear a biography or autobiography on each one. Of these, 42% had experienced loss of a parent or parent substitute during the first 18 years of life (for those with loss, the mean age at loss was 9.3 yr., SD=4.4). Experience of loss was not associated with year of birth, age at suicide, sex, whether married, a history of attempted suicide, mental illness or substance abuse, and American nationality (point biserial rs=.11,.17, -.12,.06, -.08, -.04, -.16, and -.01, respectively). Thus, experience of parental loss, primarily during latency, appears to be a fairly common experience in the life histories of this sample of famous suicides.

Note: Article Lester D, Ctr Study Suicide, RR41, 5 Stonegate Court, Blackwood,NJ 08012 USA

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