PSYCHOLOGICAL AUTOPSY:

Introduction:

Psychological autopsy is a recently developed postmortem investigative tool that

aids in the determination of a person’s cause of death.
Often there are many questions left unanswered when a person dies in a mysterious
manner.
In such cases,scientists, investigating officers, and psychologists can help to
uncover hidden secrets deriving justice.
Here interviews,eyewitness reports, and medical records are used to determine a
manner of death: natural, accidental, suicidal or homicidal.

Psychological autopsy is used most often in cases of suspected suicide or

homicide. It has definite role in criminal investigations.In 1961, two psychologists
named Shneidman and Farberow developed the psychological autopsy procedure
which is often used presently in some of the developed countries.
Here about 16 categories are identified for possible inclusion in this process and
enumarated and described below.
• Identifying particulars (name, age, sex, address, marital status,occupation,
religion).
• Details of death (police records).
• History (siblings, illnesses and treatments, suicide attempts,etc).
• Death history of deceased’s family members, if any.
• Patterns of stress reaction.
• Recent tensions or confrontations.
• Role of alcohol and/or drugs in the overall lifestyle and deathof the deceased.
• Interpersonal relationships.
• Fantasies of the deceased.
• Dreams of the deceased (or nightmares).
• Thoughts and fears of the deceased relating to death, accident or suicide.
• Change in habits, hobbies, eating, sexual patterns or other life routines just prior
to death.
• Information relating to the “life side” of the deceased (upswings, successes,
inspirations).
• Assessment of intention (role of the deceased in his/her own demise).
• Rating of lethality reaction of informants to deceased’s death.
• Comments and special features.

However, one of the major weaknesses of psychological autopsy is lack of

standardised procedure. Psychologists have developed recently, a guide with 26
categories to help investigators. Here it is important to remember that this is only
to assist investigators and that it may not be applicable in all categories in every
case and are enumerated as follows:
• Alcohol history.• Suicide notes.• Writing/diaries.• Books.• Relationship
assessments on the day before death.• Marital assessments.• Mood.• Psychosocial
stressors.• Pre-suicidal behaviours.• Language.• Drug history.• Medical history.
• Reflective mental status exam of deceased’s condition before death•
Psychological history.• Laboratory studies.• Coroner’s Magistrate’s report.•
Motive assessment.• Reconstruction of events.• Assess feelings regarding death as
well as preoccupations and fantasies.• Military history.• Death history of family.•
Family history.• Employment history.• Educational history.• Deceased’s
familiarity with methods of death.• Police reports.

Group of investigators who perform a psychological autopsy are called Death

Investigation Team (DIT).DIT’s most important task is the interview process and
that there are two specific types of interviews:
I. Interviews with eyewitnesses: These interviews are usually conducted with
persons who witnessed the actual death event and/or persons who found the
deceased’s body.
II. Interview with character witnesses: These are persons who were related to, or
acquainted with, the deceased in some or other way, such as family, friends and co-
workers.One specific type of interview is called the Structured Interview of
Reported Symptoms (SIRS), which can help detect malingering.
III. Physical autopsy of corpse: According to psychologists there is a third
interview, which involves a physical autopsy of the corpse. Quite often, the dead
will reveal hidden secrets about themselves or others of which no witnesses were
aware (such as substance dependence, cancer or abuse).

Applicability of Psychological Autopsy:

As mentioned earlier, psychological autopsy is mostly used in murder and suicide
investigations.
Murder investigations—The results can reveal vital information about why the
victim was chosen by the killer. This may help to detect similarities between
different crimes committed at different times, possibly enabling detectives to
pinpoint a criminal’s signature.

Suicide investigations—Psychological autopsies are mostly indicated in cases

of suspected suicide. This is sometimes the only way to shed light on the
characteristics of suicide victims, and to identify the possible warning signs that
may have been present prior to their self-demise. European psychological
autopsy studies have employed the use of case-control designs to better estimate
the role of various risk factors for suicide. These studies document suicide
mortalities and reducing the frequency of these tragic incidents.

The procedures of psychological autopsy in suicide cases are aimed at the

production of four outcomes:
1. To establish a method of death.
2. To determine why the deceased chose to take his or her own life at that specific
time and place.
3. To learn better ways to predict suicidal tendencies and treat people before their
behavior reaches harmful levels.
4. To provide the friends and family of the deceased with explanations for the loss
of their loved one, which can serves as a therapy for their suffering and grief.
Results of a thorough psychological autopsy may suggest that the deceased did not
commit suicide but, in fact, was murdered or may have died of natural causes.
Use or abuse of alcohol or controlled substances might be a misconception. Often
its difficult to assess whether an overdose was self-induced or accidental.
Psychologists usually probe for a specific interpersonal loss and/or conflict up to
three years prior to death. Usually this is referred to as a life event and is often
perceived as the major reason for the loss of hope that causes suicidal actions.
Job loss and divorce are some of the examples of negative life events.
Investigations at times might also reveal the presence of mental illness or
dementia, which could be the cause of confusion about certain life events.

The elderly population has the highest suicide rate and that they are also more
likely to be successful in their attempts than their younger counterparts.
After the elderly, adolescents age group has the second highest suicide rate in this
country. Reports are there which claims that depression can occur in as young as
puberty, but there are cases documented of suicides committed by children as
young as three years old.
However, it is believed that the suicides of many children are concealed and it is
most likely that the suicide mortality for youth and adolescents is actually higher
than recorded.

Studies have also shown that, unlike in adults, there is no significant difference
between adolescent suicide victims who have and do not have diagnosed
psychiatric disorders.
Some of the disorders that are often seen in adolescent suicide victims are major
depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse/ dependence and conduct disorder.

Homicidal ideation is also quite common among these troubled youths.It may be
remembered here that the most important aspect of psychology is the integrity of
the patient and in psychological autopsy, the patient is the deceased.
Always all facts and data to be handled with the utmost care and respect. However,
three points deserve particular attention here:
integrity of the deceased
respect of the interviewees and
health of the investigators.
One should also be aware of the fact that unless there is a court order, all witnesses
are entitled to refuse interviews.

Psychological autopsies also has a potential problem that all who participate may
contaminate the results of this delicate process needing proper caution and security
on data colleted.