Comparison of elderly with young-adult suicides Part II: Similarities and differences
by Ernest Shulman, Ph.D.
Young adults follow a partly different route from older suicides. They also feel entitled to disregard consequences for non-conforming behavior, just as elderly suicides do. But they differ in experiencing severe childhood trauma that results in instability and suicide attempts. Kurt Cobain exemplifies this pattern. A literature review by Hawton (1982) relates to the family disruption that plagued Cobain.
Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
At twenty-seven, this star of grunge rock shot himself in his Seattle mansion, leaving behind Courtney Love, his wife, and the baby daughter on whom he doted, not to mention relatives and millions of fans worldwide.
Cobain abused substances from early teens onward– first alcohol, later cocaine and heroin, a red flag for suicide (Hawton, 1994). In addition, he often talked about, threatened, and even tried suicide. A published excerpt from his diaries reveals an example: at age fifteen he had been living with his mother for several months (his parents were divorced), and was upset by what he termed her “mental abuse.” Accordingly, he moved from talk and to planning a serious attempt. He lay down on railway tracks as a train approached. Then at the last minute the train switched tracks. Cobain’s diary: “The train scared me enough to try to rehabilitate & my guitar playing seemed to be improving so I became less manically depressed but still never had any friends because I hated everyone for they were so phony” (Cobain, 2002, p. 27). Around this time he was quoted by friends as saying, “I want to be rich and famous and kill myself like Jimi Hendrix” (Cross, 2001, p. 33). He accomplished all those goals.