PSYCHODYNAMIC ASPECTS OF SUICIDALITY AMON G WOMEN

On the basis of psychotherapeutic experience with a selected group of 15 female suicidal patients it is demonstrated, firstly, that psychoan alytical suicide theories do not differentiate between the sexes, and therefore, can only be partially applied to the aspects of suicidality among this group of patients. Secondly, an attempt is made to describ e the specifically female form of suicidality, bearing in mind the mor e recent femininity theories in psychoanalysis. In general this study complies with Henseler's interpretation, whereby attempted suicide is an expression of a narcissistic crisis. However, because of the differ ences in suicidal behaviour between the sexes, it appears necessary an d meaningful to precisely indicate the connection between the narcissi stic development on the one hand, and the formation of sexual identity on the other. Using an interpretation framework which differentiates between the sexes, the female patients' suicidality was revealed to be the result of unsuccessful individuation from the mother as well as c omplex female identity problems, while the suicidal act manifested an analogous desire for liberation and autonomy. As this study deals with the psychodynamics among a sub-group of women, it would be interest t o clarify whether these specific considerations regarding suicidal beh aviour can be applied to other female patients. In addition, it would be necessary to examine whether the phenomena of high suicide attempt susceptibility among women does not generally call for a differentiati on in theory interpretation between the sexes.