Roles of Psychological Autopsy in Investigation
Introduction
Psychological autopsies are a rather recent phenomenon. Most estimates on when it began do not go back much earlier than the 1950’s. It was only in the late 1960’s with the work of Edwin Shneidman on the subject matter at the L. A. Suicide Prevention Center did the practice gain recognition and popularity (Selkin, 1994). Proponents of this practice believe that autopsies are of extreme importance in determining the cause of an ambiguous death (especially one where the hard evidence from the forensic department is not conclusive). The possible usefulness of psychological autopsies is not questioned. The procedures, which remain unstandardized and limited recognition within the psychological society, and the legal system have made psychological autopsies a controversial topic. Psychologists should work together with law enforcers in determining the cause of death. This will help in differentiating between suicidal, accidental, homicidal, and natural deaths (Annon, 1995).
Psychological Autopsy
This is a procedure used for investigating the death of a person by reconstructing the person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions before their death, based on any information collected from the person’s personal documents, coroner's records, police reports, and face-to-face interviews with friends, families, and other people who may have had contact with the deceased person before their death (Segen, 2006). It is the examination of the mental state of the deceased. The main reason for conducting a psychological autopsy is to determine the nature and cause of death. It is estimated that more than 20% of the death cases presented to the coroner have an unclear mode of death. A psychological autopsy can help in addressing this ambiguity and establishing whether the death resulted from an accident, suicide, natural causes or murder.
The information collected should include biographical information (that is, age, occupation and marital status), personal information (lifestyle, relationships and sources of stress alcohol/drug use) and secondary information (police records, family history and diaries).
Purpose of Conducting a Psychological Autopsy
Psychological Autopsy serves four main functions. First, its purpose is to help in determining the mode of death. Many of the deaths that go before a medical examiner or coroner are unclear and puzzling. The mode of death helps in determining whether the death was by an accident, natural cause, suicide, or homicide. Secondly, it is to establish the mental state of the dead person at the time of death. This will be done by conducting extensive interviews on the people who were close to the deceased, especially his immediate family and closest friends. The reconstruction of this mental evaluation helps to determine the events that led to his death. The third purpose is to retrieve the most accurate and honest information possible. This will help in solving the case and also bringing healing for survivors. This can be done by conducting interviews with people who knew the deceased. The fourth purpose is to get information that will help in solving similar cases in the future.
Procedure for Conducting a Psychological Autopsy
The psychologist should start the autopsy by carefully going through the life of the person, which may disclose the conditions that led to the death. It is a point by point thorough process that requires assembling information in the form of all types of records and also conducting extensive interviews with people who knew or had been acquainted with the deceased. The person conducting the autopsy should consider a number of factors. First they should consider the marital status, age, religious practices and occupation of the deceased. Next they should consider the mental state of the deceased. They should look into his mental health and other medical records and look into his high moments and his low moments. They should also consider his successes and failures. They should then consider his family history and look out for anything peculiar. They should look into the history of death in the family and also consider the ages at which they died and the causes of their deaths.
The psychologist should then carefully look at the official explanation of death, which should include the cause of death and the method. He should then look at the police reports in order to gain insight on the death. They should conduct interviews with friends and family of the deceased. In so doing, they should ensure that they account for any problems or pressures that may have arisen over the past year. The psychologist should also consider the reactions of friends, family and other acquaintances on receiving the news of his death. They should also consider the reactions and views of the people he worked with. This involves looking at their facial expression and body language. They should also consider the effect his death has had on their lives so far. This will help in knowing the types of relationships that existed between the family members and friends and the deceased. The psychologist should ensure that he has an accurate description of the lifestyle and personality of the deceased. This will help in establishing the possible motives for wanting his demise.
They should also look into the writings of the deceased while investigating whether he had a history of alcohol or drug abuse. His writings include his personal journals, diaries and will. All this information will shed light on the types of dealings he had with people around him. It will also help in determining possible motives for wanting him dead. Physical evidence from the scene of crime should also be carefully examined, as well as any other circumstantial evidence. They should investigate his emotional behavior, his fears and stress. While, at this point, they should also consider whether or not there were any changes in his hobbies, habits, sexual patterns, eating habits and other life routines. All these will help provide insight on the circumstances that surrounded his death.
Advantages of a Psychological Autopsy
Psychological autopsies help in determining the cause of death. They also help to clear speculations about death and bring justice. The sudden and violent death of a loved one can bring much stress to those affected. Conducting a psychological autopsy brings closure and helps with the healing process for the family of the deceased (Selkin, 1994).
Validity
While there is proof to support psychological autopsies being valid, it is necessary to recognize that the phrase psychological autopsy is not particularly well defined or standardized for regular operational use. One of the greatest concerns is that there does not seem to be systematic guidelines in place with regard to training and the best practice for this work. Another concern is that the person conducting the psychological autopsy may lack the depth of forensic knowledge necessary to help in informing or establishing the cause of death, depending on the type of case under review, for example they may not have the necessary skill for blood splatter analysis.
Information Presented in the Written Report
First the psychologist should include an executive summary. This should give some information on what the report is about. This should be followed by a brief introduction. In the introduction, the psychologist should give some basic information about the case. He should then give some background information about the case. Here, he should be sure to include information about other similar cases and how they were solved. The psychologist should then give the objectives for that psychological autopsy followed by the backgrounds of the people responsible for the compilation of the report. They should also include their achievements and other psychological work they have done. This will help the reader in understanding their perspective and also give credibility to their work.
Next they should give the methodologies used in conducting the psychological autopsy. This should also include the limitations of these methodologies. The psychologist should then give a detailed step by step procedure of the methods used in acquiring information. This should include the interviews, psychological profiling and body language of all the people interviewed. They should also include all the information gathered concerning the deceased. They should then give their analysis of these findings. Psychological theories should be considered when analyzing these findings. The psychologist should then give their interpretation of the findings. This should be followed by the recommendations.
This report should be accurate as this information will be used to write the death certificate. This information will also help in closing the case once and for all, and the information provided is highly sensitive (Annon, 1995). The written report could affect the family in many ways. Due to the position held by the deceased in the face of the public, the results of the report could prove scandalous and cause much distress to the family of the deceased. It is also likely to affect the members of the police force and remind them of their mortality.
Effect on family and friends
The initial reaction to death is shock. This is because death is rarely anticipated, especially when violent. It is possible that friends and family of the deceased will have some anxiety and stress because of the continued police surveillance and interrogations. This is especially stressful for the immediate family and his closest friends who are currently in a mourning period. It is necessary for the family members to undergo grief counseling so as to handle the situation. They should join relevant support groups which will help with giving them the strength they need.
Issues Experienced by the Officers
This incidence is likely to have a far-reaching effect on the police officers, especially if no psychological relief is offered. Although the police may try to remain composed in dealing with this issue, it will nonetheless have an effect on their psychological well-being. It may serve to show them their vulnerability and the dangers they face in their line of work (Kurke, 1995). This leads to psychological stress. It may be manifested in decreased productivity at work, drug and alcohol abuse and irritability. It could affect their relationships with their families. Some of them could even consider suicide while others will consider leaving the police force. Unfortunately, few people consider getting psychological help from professionals (Kurke, 1995). The police department should provide help by having a psychologist to help them deal with this issue of loss and feelings of helplessness in order to bring back their sense of balance.
Role of the Psychologist
The psychologist helps in dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that may develop once the dust settles. They should also help with the debriefing process and may sometimes be called upon to deal with the press (Kurke, 1995). They should offer the necessary help to bring normalcy back to the police force. The psychologist is also responsible for the findings of the psychological autopsy and may be held accountable for its effect on the affected people (Kurke, 1995). They should also offer a helping hand to friends and family of the deceased and refer them for proper psychological help or refer them to relevant support groups.
Conclusion
The friends, family and colleagues of the deceased are likely to be going through a myriad of issues. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure that they have the necessary support in coping with this traumatizing event. The psychologist should help make this possible. He should also work with the coroner in bringing justice for the deceased. This will help in reducing the negative effects of this incidence on all the people affected.
References
Annon, J. (1995). Psychological Autopsy. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 2 (13), 38-47.
Kurke, M. (1995). Police Psychology in the 21st Century. Ellen M. Scrivner (Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Segen, J. C. (2006). Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. New York, NY: McGraw- Hill.
Selkin, J. (1994). Psychological Autopsy. America Psychologist, 48, 8-15.
