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Understanding Suicide: a Psychobiographical Study of Ian Kevin

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Understanding Suicide: a Psychobiographical Study of Ian Kevin 1 UNDERSTANDING SUICIDE: A PSYCHOBIOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF IAN KEVIN CURTIS Philip H. Kitching Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy In the Faculty of Health Sciences At the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University April 2017 Supervisor: Professor L. Stroud i IAN KEVIN CURTIS (15 JULY 1956 – 18 MAY 1980) “When routine bites hard, and ambitions are low/ When resentment rides high, but emotion won't grow...and we're changing our ways, taking different roads/ Love will tear us apart.” (Joy Division, 1980, track 10) i Acknowledgements A special thank you to: First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Louise Stroud, who has provided me with extensive personal and professional guidance and taught me a great deal about psychology, researching, and life in general. I am grateful for your guidance, encouragement, and advice throughout this process. Lastly, nobody has been more important to me in the pursuit of this thesis than my loving and supportive wife, Jenna, and my amazing son, Jayden, who provide unending inspiration and encouragement. ii Declaration I, PHILIP H. KITCHING, in accordance with Rule G4.6.3, hereby declare that: This treatise is the result of my own original research and that this work has not previously been submitted for assessment to another university. The research contained in this thesis is being submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. All sources used or referred to in this thesis have been documented and recognized. I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be made available to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Library and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. SIGNED: Philip H. Kitching DATE: 2016 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………...………i DECLARATION…………………………………………………………………….…………..ii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………...……..iii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………………..xiii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………….…………xiv CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT 1.1. Chapter Preview………………………………………………………………………………1 1.2. Problem Statement………………………………………………………………………..…..1 1.3. Primary Aim of the Research Study………………………………………………………….3 1.4. Research Context……………………………………………………………………………..3 1.4.1. Overview of the psychobiographical approach………………………….………………..4 1.4.2. An overview of the theoretical psychological framework……………………...…………6 1.5. The Life of Ian Kevin Curtis……………………………………………………………….…8 1.6. An Overview of the Study…………………………………………………………………..11 1.7. Chapter Summary…………………………………………………………………….……..11 iv CHAPTER TWO PSYCHOBIOGRAPHY AND CASE STUDY RESEARCH 2.1.Chapter Preview………………………………………………………………….…………..12 2.2.Qualitative Research…………………………………………………………………………12 2.3.Psychobiographical Research……………………………………………………………..…14 2.4.Case Studies………………………………………………………………………………….16 2.5.Life Histories and Life Stories…………………………………………………………...…..19 2.6.A History of Psychobiography…………………………………………………………..…..20 2.7.The Value of Life History Research……………………………………………………..…..22 2.7.1. The uniqueness of the individual case within the whole…………………………….…..22 2.7.2. The social-historical context……………………………………………………………..23 2.7.3. Process and pattern over time……………………………………………………...…….23 2.7.4. Subjective reality………………………………………………………………...………23 2.7.5. Theory testing and development………………………………………….……….……..23 2.8.Chapter Summary………………………………………………………….………...………24 CHAPTER THREE THE LIFE OF IAN KEVIN CURTIS 3.1.Chapter Preview………………………………………………………………..…………….25 3.2.The Legacy of Ian Curtis…………………………………………………………………….25 3.3.Curtis as Psychobiographical Subject………………………………………………………..27 3.3.1. Stage one: family………………………………………………………………….……..32 3.3.2. Stage two: school………………………………………………………..………….……32 v 3.3.3. Stage three: marriage………………………………………………………………….....34 3.3.4. Stage four: Joy Division………………………………………………………………....35 3.3.5. Stage five: epilepsy……………………………………………………………………...37 3.3.6. Stage six: affair…………………………………………………………………….……38 3.3.7. Stage seven: suicide………………………………………………………….………….39 3.3.8. Stage eight: final days………………………………………………………..………….41 3.4.Aftermath……………………………………………………………………………………41 3.5.Chapter Summary……………………………………………………………….…………..42 CHAPTER FOUR SUICIDE 4.1.Chapter Preview……………………………………………………………………………..43 4.2.Defining Suicide…………………………………………………………………………….43 4.3.A History of Suicide………………………………………………………………………..44 4.3.1. Ancient times…………………………………………………………………….……..44 4.3.2. Early religious perspectives…………………………………………………………….46 4.3.3. Middle Ages………………………………………………………….…………………48 4.3.4. Renaissance and Reformation (14th-16th century) 1300, 1400, 1500…………………48 4.3.5. 17th and 18th century (1600, 1700)……………………………………………………..49 4.3.6. 19th and 20th century (1800, 1900)………………………………………………...……50 4.3.7. 21st century………………………………………………………………………...…..50 4.3.8. Warning signs…………………………………………………………………….……51 4.3.9. Prevention………………………………………………………………………….…..52 vi 4.3.10. Risk assessment………………………………………………………………….………53 4.4.An Etiology of Suicide Theories………………………………………………………..…..55 4.5.Chapter Summary………………………………………………………………………..….61 CHAPTER FIVE THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS 5.1.Chapter Preview…………………………………………………………………………….62 5.2.Joiner‟s Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide………………………..………….62 5.3.The Desire for Death………………………………………………………………..………66 5.4.Thwarted Effectiveness: The Perception That One is a Burden…………………………….67 5.5.Thwarted Belonging: The Perception That One Does Not Belong…………………………68 5.6.Capability to Die by Suicide……………………………………………………………..….69 5.7.Acquired Ability for Lethal Self-Injury………………………………………………..……70 5.8.The Interactive Nature of the Theory…………………………………………………….….71 5.9.Value of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide………………………………..72 5.10.Criticisms of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide……………………...…..73 5.11.The Application of Joiner‟s Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide………….…..74 5.12.The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler………………………………………………..75 5.12.1. The view of humankind……………………………………………………………...…..75 5.13.Adler and Suicide…………………………………………………………………………..75 5.14. Adler‟s Life Tasks…………………………………………………………………….…..77 5.14.1. Social interest……………………………………………………………………………77 vii 5.14.2. Love and marriage……………………………………………………………………….77 5.14.3. Occupation…………………………………………………………………….…………79 5.15. Relevance of the Theory………………………………………………………..………….79 5.16. Chapter Summary……………………………………………………………...…………..82 CHAPTER SIX RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 6.1.Chapter Preview…………………………………………………………………….………..83 6.2.Research Design and Method……………………………………………………….……….83 6.3.The Psychobiographical Subject……………………………………………………..………84 6.4.Primary Aim of the Research…………………………………………………….…….…….85 6.5.Research Procedure and Data Collection…………………………………………………….86 6.6.Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………..….87 6.6.1. Alexander‟s model…………………………………………….…………………………88 6.6.1.1.Questioning the data…………………………………………………….……………….89 6.6.1.2.Letting the data reveal itself……………………………………………………………..90 6.7. Conceptual Framework or Matrix………………………………………….……………….93 6.8. Reflexivity………………………………………………………………………………….93 6.9. Ethical Considerations……………………….……………………………………………..94 6.10. Chapter Summary…………………………………………………………………………95 viii CHAPTER SEVEN PRELIMINARY METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 7.1.Chapter Preview……………………………………………………………...………………96 7.2.Methodological Considerations in Psychobiography…………………………..……………97 7.2.1. Researcher bias………………………………………………………………..…………97 7.2.2. Reductionism…………………………………………………………...………………..98 7.2.3. Cross-cultural differences…………………….…….……………………………………99 7.2.4. Validity and reliability……………………………………….……..…………………..100 7.2.5. Elitism and easy genre……………………………………………………………...…..103 7.2.6. Infinite amount of biographical data…………………………………….……………..104 7.2.7. Inflated expectations………………………………….…………………………..…….105 7.3. Chapter Summary……………………………………………………………………….…105 CHAPTER EIGHT FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 8.1.Chapter Preview………………………………………………………………….………..106 8.2.Primary Aim Revisited…………………………………………………….…….………..106 8.3.The Application of Joiner‟s Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide…….………107 8.3.1. Perceived burdensomeness………………………………………….……….......……107 8.3.2. Thwarted belongingness…………………………………………….………..……….108 8.3.3. Desire for death……………………………………………………….………………108 8.3.4. Acquired ability for lethal self-injury………………………………….……….…….109 8.3.5. Capability to die by suicide………………………………………….……….………110 ix 8.4. The application of Adler‟s (1929) Individual Psychology…………………………...……110 8.5.The Eight Stages of Curtis‟s Life Through Joiner‟s Lens………………………………….111 8.5.1. Stage one: Childhood……………………………………………………………...……111 8.5.1.1.Perceived burdensomeness………………………………………………….………….111 8.5.1.2.Thwarted belongingness…………………………………………………….………….111 8.5.1.3.Desire for death………………………………………………………………….……..112 8.5.1.4.Acquired ability for lethal self-injury…………………………………………………..113 8.5.1.5.Capability to die by suicide…………………………………………………...………..113 8.5.2. Stage Two: School……………………………………………………………...………113 8.5.2.1.Perceived burdensomeness………………………………………….………………….113 8.5.2.2.Thwarted belongingness…………………………………………………..……………114 8.5.2.3.Desire for death…………………………………………………………………………115 8.5.2.4.Acquired ability for lethal self-injury…………………………………………….…….115 8.5.2.5.Capability to die by suicide……………………………………………………….……116
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