1Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, L.N. Medical College, Kolar Road, Bhopal, (M.P.)
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gajra Raja Medical College, Gwalior, M.P
3Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar, M.P
4Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, (M.P.)
*Corresponding author: Dr. Sarthak Juglan, Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Gajra Raja Medical College, Gwalior, (M.P.), E-mail.-juglan@gmail.com
Online published on 27 July, 2017.
Psychological autopsy is the reconstruction of events leading to death. There are few studies on psychological autopsy.
To understand the profile of suicide completers and compare patients who attempted suicide by hanging with those who attempt suicide by consuming poison on demographic and phenomenological variables and assess the socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, and psychiatric and physical co-morbidity associated with completed suicide.
Two hundred complete suicide cases were analyzed. Using a semi-structured, self designed questionnaire, the family, friends and relatives of the deceased were interviewed.
The presence of some type of stressful life events and family history of suicide are two important factors for committing suicide.
It could be concluded that psychological autopsy just like physical autopsy can be useful tool to investigate the antecedent of death and reveals the deceased contribution to their own death.
Psychological autopsy, suicide, hanging, poisonous substances
