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investigators attempt to determine the reasons for an individual’s actions that led to death. Suicidal intent is measured by factors such as means of death, prior threats to commit suicide, and settling of financial accounts. In psychological autopsies, mental disorders are also strongly associated with suicide.
41:
The method entails collecting all available information on a deceased individual through forensic examinations, examining health records, and conducting interviews with relatives and friends. This information is then used to determine the individual’s risk factors and psychological state before their
113:
advises to use these criteria named after Irene
Ovenstone to determine a suspected suicide. Irene Ovenstone introduced these criteria in 1973. She applied this method in the review of the verdicts in Edinburgh. The review revealed a potential under-reporting of suicide of 40.67%. These criteria are:
93:
Intent is determined by analyzing information about the decedent collected from interviews with friends and family, along with information gained from the related forensic examination into the decedent’s death. Information from the decedent’s health records is also examined, including any illnesses,
54:
The psychological autopsy method was first used when
Coroner Theodore J. Curphrey asked for the Suicide Prevention Center’s help in investigating a high number of drug-induced deaths. The procedure was also used after Curphrey enlisted psychiatrist Robert E. Litman and Farberow to help determine the
89:
When conducting psychological autopsies, investigators attempt to identify a decedent’s intention in regard to their death. Psychological autopsies first attempt to answer how an individual died, why they died at a specific time, and the most probable cause of death. If the cause of death is clear,
50:
Farberow and
Shneidman pioneered the psychological autopsy while working at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center in the 1950s. They developed the procedure after being asked by the Coroner to help identify the cause of death in equivocal suicides. The procedure was influenced by Farberow and
85:
The psychological autopsy was developed to help clarify equivocal deaths, or deaths without a clear or appropriate mode. Examples of equivocal death scenarios include drug-related deaths, autoerotic and self-induced asphyxia, vehicular deaths, and drownings.
832:
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treatment, and therapy and family history of death. Investigators usually look for details such as behavioral patterns in response to stress, recent changes in behavior, suicidal ideation, use of alcohol and/or drugs, and recent traumatic events.
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497:"Evolution of the psychological autopsy: fifty years of experience at the Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office"
30:) is a systematic procedure for evaluating suicidal intention in equivocal cases. It was invented by American psychologists
55:
mental state of
Marilyn Monroe before her death. Farberow ruled Monroe’s death a probable suicide after the investigation.
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575:
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Botello, Timothy; Noguchi, Thomas; Sathyavagiswaran, Lakshmanan; Weinberger, Linda E.; Gross, Bruce H. (July 2013).
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The psychological autopsy has also been used to help determine the likelihood of suicide in criminal cases such as
768:
655:
121:, written or oral, where the intention is communicated and where the traffic incident supports a suicide
387:
Hawton, K.; Appleby, L.; Platt, S.; Foster, T.; Cooper, J.; Malmberg, A.; Simkin, S. (September 1998).
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during their time working at the Los
Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, which they founded in 1958.
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833:"A Psychiatric Approach to the Diagnosis of Suicide and its Effect upon the Edinburgh Statistics"
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Abondo, M.; Masson, M.; Le Gueut, M.; Millet, B. (September 2008). "L'autopsie psychiatrique".
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552:"Inside Marilyn Monroe's Controversial Autopsy Report — And The Eerie Conspiracies Behind It"
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389:"The psychological autopsy approach to studying suicide: a review of methodological issues"
233:"The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center: A Demonstration of Public Health Feasibilities"
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Shneidman’s time studying suicide notes from the Los
Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
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and in 2002, psychological autopsies became a part of its training curriculum.
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A traffic incident that indicates a suicide in combination with knowledge of
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576:"Norman Farberow dies at 97; psychologist was pioneer in suicide prevention"
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Cavanagh, J. T. O.; Carson, A. J.; Sharpe, M.; Lawrie, S. M. (April 2003).
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Mohanty, Pallavi; Kumar, Rajeev; Sankhla, Mahipal Singh (September 2021).
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Litman, Robert E. (1963). "Investigations of
Equivocal Suicides".
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Communication about committing suicide or having no reason to live
711:"Psychological autopsy studies of suicide: a systematic review"
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to distinguish a death as a deliberate act. Also, the
British
686:"Death Investigation – Introduction to Psychological Autopsy"
628:"The Psychological Autopsy, Part I: Applications and Methods"
440:
Indian
Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology
881:. Springer International Publishing. pp. 1103–1115.
436:"Importance of Psychological Autopsy in Forensic Science"
237:
American
Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health
231:
Shneidman, Edwin S.; Farberow, Norman L. (January 1965).
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The psychological autopsy method has been adopted by the
938:"Suicide and bereavement response | College of Policing"
601:"Norman Farberow, psychologist at forefront of suicide"
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JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
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A traffic incident that strongly suggests a suicide
873:Andersson, Anna-Lena; Svensson, Kenneth (2023).
798:Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
42:death to help determine their cause of death.
794:"Guide to conducting a psychological autopsy"
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331:"Psychological autopsy studies--a review"
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16:Method of investigating possible suicides
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130:Recent indirect suicidal communication
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831:Ovenstone, Irene M. K. (July 1973).
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136:Ongoing mental illness or prolonged
142:Previous major traumatic life event
60:United States Department of Defense
769:"What is a Psychological Autopsy?"
672:10.1111/j.1943-278X.1981.tb01009.x
103:European Union Agency for Railways
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875:"Suicide in the Transport System"
837:The British Journal of Psychiatry
792:Ebert, Bruce W. (February 1987).
329:Isometsä, E. T. (November 2001).
213:10.1001/jama.1963.03700250060008
767:Silber, Benjamin (2022-02-12).
452:10.5958/0974-4487.2021.00001.8
393:Journal of Affective Disorders
1:
550:Fraga, Kaleena (2022-04-06).
405:10.1016/s0165-0327(98)00033-0
347:10.1016/s0924-9338(01)00594-6
888:10.1007/978-3-030-76505-7_42
641:(6): 393–397. November 2008.
501:Journal of Forensic Sciences
302:. 2007-12-28. Archived from
666:(4): 325–340. Winter 1981.
656:"The Psychological Autopsy"
178:10.1016/j.encep.2007.06.005
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810:10.1037/0735-7028.18.1.52
727:10.1017/s0033291702006943
475:"Psychological autopsies"
879:The Vision Zero Handbook
73:and civil cases such as
513:10.1111/1556-4029.12138
127:Recent suicide attempts
715:Psychological Medicine
556:All That's Interesting
942:www.college.police.uk
20:Psychological autopsy
969:Psychiatric research
849:10.1192/bjp.123.1.15
773:forensic-evaluations
249:10.2105/AJPH.55.1.21
335:European Psychiatry
111:College of Policing
28:psychiatric autopsy
635:Law and Psychiatry
107:Ovenstone criteria
98:Ovenstone criteria
36:Edwin S. Shneidman
898:978-3-030-76504-0
580:Los Angeles Times
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207:(12): 924.
166:L'Encéphale
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963:Categories
948:23 January
778:2023-04-06
695:2023-04-06
586:2023-04-06
561:2023-04-06
310:2023-04-06
152:References
138:depression
917:ignored (
907:cite book
818:1939-1323
735:0033-2917
521:1556-4029
460:244311911
413:0165-0327
355:0924-9338
257:0002-9572
81:Processes
26:(or also
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979:Suicide
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