The “Noncommunicating Suicide”: Does He Exist?

Abstract

An attempt was made to isolate empirically the syndrome of the “noncommunicating suicide” from a sample of 50 established cases of completed suicide in Los Angeles County. The suggestion was made that indirect indicants of suicidality may be present in some suicidal individuals in lieu of direct, verbal communication of intent. Even those few cases where direct and/or indirect verbalized communication of intent were presumably absent were characterized by cues (i.e., previous attempts, depression, unusual behavior, complaints, recent doctor's visits, psychotherapy or hospitalization, and contacts with significant others just prior to death) that have prophylactic significance.