Who leaves a suicide note? A systematic review of differences between note writers and non‐note writers
Abstract
Suicide notes represent one of the few first-person sources of information on the suicidal process. However, only a minority of individuals who die by suicide leave a note, raising the question of whether note writers (NW) are representative of the broader population of suicide decedents. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on differences between NW and non-note writers (NNW) across sociodemographic, clinical, psychosocial, and suicide-related variables. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and ProQuest databases up to June 22, 2026, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they compared NW and NNW on at least one variable, or investigated predictors of note-leaving. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was heterogeneous and suggested that NW cannot be clearly distinguished from NNW based on sociodemographic and clinical variables. Concerning suicide-related variables, the method of suicide was the most consistently different between NW and NNW; in particular, the most frequent methods of suicide in NW, compared to NNW, were non-violent methods like poisoning/overdose and gas inhalation. Rather than solely reflecting a distinct psychological profile, suicide note-leaving may also be influenced by the circumstances surrounding the suicidal act. One possible, although untested, explanation is that leaving a note requires a degree of cognitive and emotional organization that may be less compatible with highly disorganized or impulsive suicidal states.
Related
- Tissue-specific accumulation of Na+ in leaves of 2 tomato species is linked to differences in symplastic transport
- Sex-Based Differences in Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Female Presentation
- A review of the morphology of ohatsuki (stamen- or ovule-bearing) leaves, with relevance to physiological analyses of Ginkgo biloba
- Mulberry (Morus alba) leaves in sheep and goat nutrition: a critical narrative review of rumen function, performance, meat quality, and mechanistic evidence
- A comparative analysis of syntactic complexity in English academic texts by Chinese MTI trainee translators and native academic writers
BibTeX
@article{gotti2026leaves,
title = {{Who leaves a suicide note? A systematic review of differences between note writers and non‐note writers}},
author = {Giulia Gotti and Federica Turolla and Alessandra Bordessa and Claudia Bruni and Fabio Madeddu and Lorenzo Montali and Guendalina Gentile and Riccardo Zoja and Riccardo Primavera and Stefano Tambuzzi and Cristina Cattaneo and Raffaella Calati},
journal = {Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/pcn5.70414},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05784286v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Who leaves a suicide note? A systematic review of differences between note writers and non‐note writers
AU - Giulia Gotti
AU - Federica Turolla
AU - Alessandra Bordessa
AU - Claudia Bruni
AU - Fabio Madeddu
AU - Lorenzo Montali
AU - Guendalina Gentile
AU - Riccardo Zoja
AU - Riccardo Primavera
AU - Stefano Tambuzzi
AU - Cristina Cattaneo
AU - Raffaella Calati
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports
DO - 10.1002/pcn5.70414
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05784286v1
AB - Suicide notes represent one of the few first-person sources of information on the suicidal process. However, only a minority of individuals who die by suicide leave a note, raising the question of whether note writers (NW) are representative of the broader population of suicide decedents. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on differences between NW and non-note writers (NNW) across sociodemographic, clinical, psychosocial, and suicide-related variables. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and ProQuest databases up to June 22, 2026, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they compared NW and NNW on at least one variable, or investigated predictors of note-leaving. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was heterogeneous and suggested that NW cannot be clearly distinguished from NNW based on sociodemographic and clinical variables. Concerning suicide-related variables, the method of suicide was the most consistently different between NW and NNW; in particular, the most frequent methods of suicide in NW, compared to NNW, were non-violent methods like poisoning/overdose and gas inhalation. Rather than solely reflecting a distinct psychological profile, suicide note-leaving may also be influenced by the circumstances surrounding the suicidal act. One possible, although untested, explanation is that leaving a note requires a degree of cognitive and emotional organization that may be less compatible with highly disorganized or impulsive suicidal states.
SN - 2769-2558
ER -