Linguistic markers in cross-nation suicide notes and their implications for authenticity verification

Abstract

The relevance and validity of linguistic markers in distinguishing genuine from fabricated suicide notes remain a subject of unresolved debate as highlighted by past studies. However, much of the existing research relies on the same corpus; thus, the need for fresh insights using newer datasets is required. This study investigates linguistic markers in recent cross-nation suicide notes and their implications for authenticity verification. Grounded in Olsson’s (2008, 2012) linguistic feature theory, the research analyzed ten genuine and five fabricated suicide notes drawn from real cases across eight countries. The data were sourced from verified news reports with validation ensured through intertextual reports. Using a qualitative approach, the study identified both overlapping and distinctive linguistic markers between genuine and fabricated notes. Key markers consistently associated with genuine suicide notes include suicidal propositions, the framing of suicide as the only viable option, explicit references to death, and emotional ambivalence. These markers are shown to be difficult to convincingly replicate in fabricated notes, providing a potential basis for authenticity verification. Although this study has several limitations, including the small sample size, translation issue of non-English or non-Indonesian notes, and the inherent subjectivity due to qualitative nature, it contributes to clarifying the reliability of linguistic analysis in determining the authenticity of suicide notes and underscores the importance of four specific linguistic markers in distinguishing genuine from fabricated notes. This study also strengthens the relevance of suicide note linguistic markers by connecting psychological reasonings represented by linguistic expressions.