States of Self as Agents of Self-Killing: An Egogram-based Suicide Note Analysis Study in Russia

Abstract

The article presents findings of the egogram-based suicide note analysis, which was undertaken by three experts (MDs, PhDs, certified in TA) in a sample of 26 people (36 suicide notes) in Ryazan, Russia, in 2000 and 2017. The results of the study imply that the presuicidal intrapersonal activity is quite diverse and evolving, and may vary between those who complete suicide lethally and those who survive their suicide attempt. Lethal suicides were characterised by elevated levels of Adult and Adapted Child whereas non-lethal suicide attempts showed an apparent increase in Adapted Child and negative Controlling Parent levels. The authors inferred that suicidal individuals with serious lethal intent might maintain moderate levels of Adapted Child (suffering) so as to enable Adult to accumulate energy needed to perform a fatal suicide attempt. In attempted suicides, high levels of negative Controlling Parent targeting relevant others may diffuse the energy necessary for completion of suicide. Attempted suicide egograms were illustrative of the manipulative nature of the non-lethal suicide attempts, whereas completed suicides did not. Egograms of non-lethal suicide attempts and intoxicated completed suicides had similar distribution of ego state levels, which may reflect the effect of alcohol interfering with the activity of protective Parental substructures and strengthening the role of the negative Controlling Parent targeting either one’s inner self or relevant others. Citation - APA format: Shustov, D., Tuchina, O., Agibalova, T., & Zuykova, N. (2018). States of Self as Agents of Self-Killing: An Egogram-based Suicide Note Analysis Study in Russia. International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice, 9(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.29044/v9i1p5