In Defense of the Idiographic Approach: Studies of Suicide Notes and Personal Documents

Abstract The two main approaches to understanding suicide are the nomethetic and the idiographic. The nomothetic approach deals with generalizations of the event, whereas the idiographic approach involves the intense study of individuals, primarily using qualitative methods. The former is well ingrained in suicidology; the latter is often questioned. This paper is in defense of the idiographic study and argues for the advantages of this approach, noting especially the assets of personal documents (e.g., sucide notes) in such studies. Common criticisms of the study of the individual (the particular) are addressed. To illustrate the approach, a case study is presented to show the richness of a qualitative methodology to understanding the suicidal mind.