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A Qualitative Research on Suicide Notes: Mental Representations in Suicide Notes of Men

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A Qualitative Research on Suicide Notes: Mental Representations in Suicide Notes of Men A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON SUICIDE NOTES: MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS IN SUICIDE NOTES OF MEN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY FAZİLET CANBOLAT IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY JUNE 2018 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences ______________________ Prof. Dr. Tülin Gençöz Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science/Arts / Doctor of Philosophy. ______________________ Prof. Dr. H. Canan Sümer Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science/Arts/Doctor of Philosophy. ______________________ Prof. Dr. Faruk Gençöz Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Bengi Öner Özkan (METU, PSY) Prof. Dr. Faruk Gençöz (METU, PSY) Prof. Dr. Halise Devrimci Özgüven (Ankara Üni., PSK) Assoc. Prof. Dr. F. Umut Beşpınar (METU, SOC) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müjde Koca Atabey (İstinye Üni., PSK) PLAGIARISM I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last Name : Fazilet CANBOLAT Signature : iii ABSTRACT A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON SUICIDE NOTES: MENTAL REPRESENTATIONS IN SUICIDE NOTES OF MEN Canbolat, Fazilet Ph. D., Department of Psychology Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Faruk Gençöz June 2018, 194 pages This thesis was dedicated to investigate a part of the suicide phenomenon by using suicide notes. The main aim of the study was to examine the note leavers’ experiences in relation to others. The most suitable method was thought to be qualitative research; therefore, 12 documents were obtained from Ankara Public Prosecutor office by purposive sampling, and the data set was analyzed by utilizing inductive and interpretative thematic analysis. According to the findings of primary (semantic) level analysis, the categories were labeled as ‘emotions’, ‘perceptions’, ‘functions’ and ‘phantasies’. There were several themes and sub-themes under those categories. Based on the findings from the primary level analysis, an interpretative level of analysis from a Lacanian point of view was conducted. In this secondary (latent) level analysis, the mental relational interplay of the emotions of the subject related to the Other in the suicide notes has been the focal point. The findings yielded latent themes such as ‘ambivalence of emotions (aggressivity)’, ‘issues related to iv separation’ and ‘issues related to the Law’. The ‘issues related to separation’ theme was thought to be composed of sub-themes such as ‘the investment for the eye of the Other as an urge to escape from persecution anxiety’ and ‘the illusion of omnipotence’. On the basis of those findings, a diagnostic discussion, which highlighted narcissism in addition to a psychotic structure, specifically paranoia, was provided. In terms of implications, the findings of this study may be utilized while evaluating the transference of the suicidal patients in the psychotherapy settings. Keywords: Qualitative Study, Suicide Notes, Lacanian Analysis, the Other, Psychotherapy v ÖZ İNTİHAR NOTLARI ÜZERİNE NİTEL BİR ARAŞTIRMA: ERKEKLERİN İNTİHAR NOTLARINDA ZİHİNSEL TEMSİLLER Canbolat, Fazilet Doktora, Psikoloji Bölümü Tez Danışmanı: Prof. Dr. Faruk Gençöz Haziran 2018, 194 sayfa Bu tez, intihar notlarını kullanarak intihar olgusunun bir kısmını araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmanın temel amacı not bırakan kişilerin diğerleriyle ilişkilerindeki deneyimlerini araştırmaktır. En uygun metodun nitel araştırma metodu olduğu düşünülmüştür, bu sebeple amaca uygun örneklemle Ankara Başsavcılığı’ndan 12 doküman alınmış, tüme-varımsal ve yorumlayıcı tema analizi yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Birincil (anlamsal) düzey analizlerden edinilen sonuçlara göre kategoriler ‘duygular’, ‘algılar’, ‘fonksiyonlar’ ve ‘fanteziler’ olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Bu kategorilerin altında çeşitli temalar ve alt temalar bulunmaktadır. Birincil düzey analizlerden elde edilen sonuçlara dayanılarak, Lacanyen bakış açısıyla yorumlayıcı düzey analizler yapılmıştır. Bu ikincil düzey analizlerde, intihar notlarında failin büyük Başka’ya ilişkin duygularını zihinsel düzeyde incelemek esas amaç olmuştur. Bulgular ‘çift-değerli duygulanım (agresiflik)’, ‘ayrışmaya ilişkin meseleler’ ve ‘yasaya ilişkin meseleler’ gibi bir takım vi örtük temaları ortaya çıkarmıştır. ‘Ayrışmaya ilişkin meseleler’ temasının ‘zulüm kaygısından kaçınmak için Büyük Başka’nın gözüne yapılan yatırım’ ve ‘tümgüçlülük düşlemleri’ gibi alt temalardan oluştuğu düşünülmüştür. Bulgulara dayanılarak narsisizm ve psikotik yapıyı, bilhassa paranoyayı işaret eden tanısal bir tartışma sunulmuştur. Uygulama bağlamında, psikoterapi alanında intihara meyilli hastaların aktarımlarını ele alırken bu çalışmadan edinilen bulguların kullanılabileceği düşünülmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Nitel Araştırma, İntihar Notları, Lacanyen Analiz, Büyük Başka, Psikoterapi vii DEDICATION To My Family viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foremost, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Prof. Dr. Faruk Gençöz for encouraging and supporting me to accomplish this study. Besides, I want to thank him for helping me to grow up with knowledge in terms of my own dynamics and to find out my own way throughout my university education since the very first years in METU. I have learned how to acknowledge who I am thanks to him. He has been like a second father figure for me with his supports, back- ups and guidances. I owe him my sincere gratitude. I feel very thankful to my committee chair Prof. Dr. Bengi Öner Özkan. She has always been so kind, positive and motivating throughout the process. In addition, I want to thank Prof. Dr. Halise Devrimci Özgüven for her supportive, beneficial and encouraging comments and contributions. Moreover, I want to express my thankfulness for my committee members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Umut Beşpınar and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müjde Koca Atabey for their valuable, encouraging and useful comments and suggestions. I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Dr. Tülin Gençöz for her contributions throughout my education in METU. Her teaching method and supervisions will always be a role model for me. I feel very lucky to have the chance to be one of the students of her. I would like to thank Ankara Public Prosecutory Office for their collaboration and supports. Especially, I want to express my thankfulness to the director of public prosecution Fethi Şimşek for his permission to collect my data. I cannot forget the supports and encouragements of attorney general Zekai Yusuf Sarıbay and ix prosecutor secretary Hülya Buldu. If they did not have trust in me, this study would not exist. I feel really thankful. I would like to thank my research group and peers who helped me to organize my thoughts and findings. I think my peers Burcu Pınar Gökdemir and Derya Özbek Şimşek deserves special thanks here. I would also like to thank Hakan Tilgel for helping me with English translations and general organizations of the thesis. Besides, I want to thank all of my supervisors, supervisees and patients who contributed to my professional development as a psychotherapist. My special thanks go to my precious ones. First, I want to express my gratitude for Berfin Özge Özdemir for being such a sweet, motivating, helpful and whole-hearted housemate. I will never forget your support at the day of my dissertation defense just as all the other days you cooked for me or left a piece of chocolate onto my laptop in order to increase my motivation to study. You are my little mother. I feel very luck to have a bro named as Metin Emenullahi. I want to thank him for always being honest with me, supporting and enlightening me whenever I feel confused. We had delightful conversations, and I know that we will continue having them at our fourties during our barbecue parties. The last but the most, I would like to thank Sudeyf Musayev. He studied with me in order to motivate me, even when he did not have any work to do. He has always been there for me and endured all the hardships of my faces. He is more than a friend for me and he is just like a mountain which I can always count on. I am very grateful to have you in my life. I love you guys! Lastly, I want to thank my encouraging and supporting family. They made me who I am. I feel greatful to have them behind my back and they are fortunately there. x TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ..................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... iv ÖZ ........................................................................................................................ vi DEDICATION ................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................... ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... xi LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE .................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................
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