Abstract
The psychological autopsy is an important assessment tool used to identify aspects of a person's life that explain any lingering mystery that shrouds their death. In addition to answering questions of the past, the psychological autopsy has significant implications for the future. Statistics obtained from mortality data affect the course of health care research, the flow of resources, and ultimately public health policy. From a public health perspective, the misclassification of suicides as accidents or deaths from natural causes can negatively affect research funding and policy development related to suicide prevention efforts, making a standardized and accurate procedure imperative. Although the psychological autopsy was developed initially as a tool to assist the coroner in clarifying the cause of death, this procedure has transcended the confines of forensic science and has applications in the many arenas of litigation and public health policy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 805-822 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Psychiatric Clinics of North America |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2006 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
The Psychological Autopsy : Solving the Mysteries of Death. / Scott, Charles L; Swartz, Elena; Warburton, Katherine.
In: Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 29, No. 3, 09.2006, p. 805-822.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Psychological Autopsy
T2 - Solving the Mysteries of Death
AU - Scott, Charles L
AU - Swartz, Elena
AU - Warburton, Katherine
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - The psychological autopsy is an important assessment tool used to identify aspects of a person's life that explain any lingering mystery that shrouds their death. In addition to answering questions of the past, the psychological autopsy has significant implications for the future. Statistics obtained from mortality data affect the course of health care research, the flow of resources, and ultimately public health policy. From a public health perspective, the misclassification of suicides as accidents or deaths from natural causes can negatively affect research funding and policy development related to suicide prevention efforts, making a standardized and accurate procedure imperative. Although the psychological autopsy was developed initially as a tool to assist the coroner in clarifying the cause of death, this procedure has transcended the confines of forensic science and has applications in the many arenas of litigation and public health policy.
AB - The psychological autopsy is an important assessment tool used to identify aspects of a person's life that explain any lingering mystery that shrouds their death. In addition to answering questions of the past, the psychological autopsy has significant implications for the future. Statistics obtained from mortality data affect the course of health care research, the flow of resources, and ultimately public health policy. From a public health perspective, the misclassification of suicides as accidents or deaths from natural causes can negatively affect research funding and policy development related to suicide prevention efforts, making a standardized and accurate procedure imperative. Although the psychological autopsy was developed initially as a tool to assist the coroner in clarifying the cause of death, this procedure has transcended the confines of forensic science and has applications in the many arenas of litigation and public health policy.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33746788508&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psc.2006.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.psc.2006.04.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 16904513
AN - SCOPUS:33746788508
VL - 29
SP - 805
EP - 822
JO - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
JF - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
SN - 0193-953X
IS - 3
ER -