Citation

Haines J, Williams CL, Lester D. Forensic Sci. Int. 2010; 202(1-3): 93-96.

Affiliation

School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 30, Hobart, Tasmania 70001, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.04.036

PMID

20483554

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the nature of homicide-suicides and determine the ways in which they differ from suicides without the perpetration of homicide in terms of their demographic characteristics, suicide, medical and psychiatric history, their psychological state leading up to the suicide, and their motives for their suicidal behavior. Cases of homicide-suicide from a 20-year period were extracted from the Coroner's inquest files and were matched to suicide-only cases on the basis of age and sex. The characteristics that predominantly distinguished the homicide-suicides were based on psychological state leading up to the act and motive for the act. It is proposed that homicide-suicides may be better understood within an expressive homicide framework.

Language: en