Good after noon everyone,
For my topic today, I chose psychological autopsies. I have always been fascinated – not with what someone did – but why they did it. I remember sitting with my dad when I was five, and while other kids my age watched cartoons (which I also did), I was watching Forensic Files, or America’s Most Wanted. But as an adult, I find the idea of psychological autopsies, as a way to bring a voice to someone who has lost theirs. To me, it’s a way of advocating for them, when they can no longer do so for themselves.
A psychological autopsy is basically a way of “studying the mental factors” of an individual “in the weeks or days leading up to their death” (Gray, 2022). This method of investigation was developed in the 1950s – 60s, in order to “determine [reports] of suicide” (Gray, 2022). Psychological autopsies are usually used to determine manner of “undetermined death”; meaning psychological experts will be called in to determine whether or not an individual’s death was caused by suicide or homicide (Gray, 2022). This is done usually with the help of behavioural analysts, and psychological experts, who are to determine and investigate – to the best of their abilities, the mental state of the individual who was killed (Sutar & Yanav, 2023).
It is through the development of psychological autopsies, that questions relating to the mental state and psychological history of the deceased came into play. More often times than not, there are “signs” leading up to an individual engaging in the horrifically tragic act of taking their own life (Gray, 2022). Likewise, there are also “psychological disorders” and/or “mental illnesses” involved – most of the time – when this occurs (Sutar & Yanav, 2023). If there is no history of such behaviours or disorders, then the cause of death is usually a homicide (Sutar & Yanav, 2023). These are all reasons as to why I chose this topic for this week, and why I wanted to delve deeper into the realm and world of psychological autopsies. They are akin to physical autopsies, where the Medical Examiner will look into a body to determine causation, and time of death, while psychological professionals will look into their minds – if you will – to determine their mental state before or leading up to the decadent’s death.
One case of a psychological autopsy being done, is a case that occurred in 2007, involving the death of a woman named Mrs. Jocelyn Earnest (Gray, 2022). Mrs. Earnest had been found shot in the head, with a suicide note, which was strange, because she did not have a habit of going on the computer, or typing notes that she could have easily written (Gray, 2022). Experts found out that there was no prior evidence of mental illness in Mrs. Earnest’s psychological history. In fact, she “had a good job, and was happy”, her friends mentioned (Gray, 2022). The case has not been closed, but it was determined a murder, because while the note was typed, Jocelyn didn’t have a computer at home, where her body was found (Gray, 2022). What was discovered however, was that Jocelyn’s husband was “harassing her” because they were in debt, and “owed more than [their new] house was worth” (Gray, 2022). The note they found with her body also mentioned how there was a line that stated “My new love will never leave the family”, which was also farfetched by those who knew her, because to their knowledge, she was not in a new relationship (Gray, 2022). Seeing all this, Mrs. Jocelyn Earnest’s death was determined as a “homicide made to look like a suicide” (Gray, 2022). The case is still open, and considered under investigation.
The role of a forensic psychological professional in regards to psychological autopsies, is to delve into the mental and psychological history of the decedant (Sutar & Yanav, 2023). In doing this, they are to investigate whether or not the individual did indeed have cause or willingness/opportunity to take their own lives, or if their lives were taken from them. They along with behavioural analysts, work together with their state’s coroners and/or medical examiners, and thusly investigate the individual’s death (Sutar & Yanav, 2023).
References:
Gray, J. (2022). Inside the Mind of the Dead: What are Psychological Autopsies? aetv.com. Retrieved
July 1, 2024, from https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/what-is-a-psychological-autopsy
Sutar, R., Kumar, A., & Yadav, V. (2023). Suicide and prevalence of mental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of world data on case-control psychological autopsy studies. Psychiatry Research, 329, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115492
