An Inquiry into Relationship Suicides and Reciprocity

Abstract

Few theories on suicide have been grounded in the norm of reciprocity. There is literature on suicide, however, describing motivations such as retaliation and retreat which can be interpreted as modes of adaptation to the norm of reciprocity. We propose a reciprocity-based theory to explain suicides associated with relationship problems. Employing a content analysis of suicide notes, we tested the theory, finding evidence of exploitation, exploiter guilt, retaliation, and retreat as motives for committing relationship-based suicide. Reciprocity-based note writers were more likely to have used alcohol or drugs in the hours prior to committing suicide, and they were also more likely to have made their intentions known beforehand. Implications for future research as well as for suicide prevention are discussed.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Revenge Attitudes Inventory-21.

“…The only empirical measure of this link is the newly developed ITMQ (Abbas et al, 2018). Distinct from this instrument, the seven-item Suicide-Related Revenge dimension of the MRAI-21 draws extensively on research that has focused on suicide as vengeance within interpersonal relationships (see, e.g., Davis, Callanan, Lester, & Haines, 2009; Hjelmeland et al, 2002). Sample items from the Suicide-Related Revenge dimension read, “I have thought about ways to kill myself in order to make someone feel intense guilt” and “When someone harms me on purpose, I experience a strong desire to kill myself as the only way to get even.”…”

Do Animals Commit Suicide? Does It Matter?

“…Altruistic suicide is known in humans (Leighton & Hughes, 1955). Suicide with hostile intent, aimed at revenge, is recorded in the anthropological literature (Preti, 2006), and spiteful or retaliation intentions are sometimes encoded in suicide notes (Davis, Callanan, Lester, & Haines, 2009). Nevertheless altruistic suicide and suicide with hostile intent form a small fraction of all cases of suicides: The majority of suicides can be attributed to the will to stop unbearable suffering or to detach oneself from life circumstances.…”