Motivation of attempted suicide: an investigation of 87 cases of unsuccessful suicide, Edinburgh 1932 to 1933

Abstract

In this thesis, ineffective attempts at suicide are studied. They are local attempts, and are studied in their setting. All but four of the cases are Scots born; and three quarters of them have lived in Edinburgh all their lives.

It is because the cases are Scottish that a survey of suicidal attempts, both successful and unsuccessful, over a period of seven years, has been included for Scotland and particularly for Edinburgh. Any reference to other countries is incidental.

An attempt was made to ascertain current attitudes towards suicide in Edinburgh by distributing a questionnaire to two groups of local people, one above thirty years, the other between 19 and 29 years.

References in the daily press are frequent and sometimes sensational. Comments upon cases where the indi,vidual.concerned was known to the family seemed likely to be more reliable as indicating the feeling inspired by the act, however; and these were reported in answers to the Questionnaire.