title: Projective identification and suicide contagion.
abstract: The effect of suggestion on suicide is well established. However, the intrapsychic mechanisms of the contagion of suicides are poorly understood. In this article I first present the literature about suicide clustering and about projective identification. In the following clinical vignette I try to understand a patient's suicidal behaviour, referring to William Goldstein's clarifying model of projective identification. I aim to illustrate that his model has heuristic value in the treatment of suicidal patients when the effect of suggestion or identification is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Turku University, Finland.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Taiminen
mesh_terms: D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D010553:Personality Development; D011385:Projection; D012801:Sibling Relations; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology