Validity of the results of psychological autopsies in suicide prevention policy

Abstract

Psychological autopsy is a clinical tool and a research tool likely to clarify the circumstances of a death in cases of suicide, of homicide or suspicious death (Fig. 1.1). In our analysis of the methodolog and its application, the purpose specifically focus on autopsies psychological in cases of suicide. Psychological autopsy focuses on the psychological aspects of occurrence of death. It incorporates the field of Suicidology. Its goal is to understand the circumstances as the state of mind of the victime of his act. This type of method includes a reconstruction lifestyle behaviors and events experienced by the individual. Thus, the psychological autopsy is a retrospective analysis The aim of the psychological autopsy is to collect as much information about the circumstances of the death and to update the reasons for suicide eventually help reveal risk factors (Hawton et al., 2003) This is an epidemiological study of suicides in Eastern Algeria (15 wilayas) through psychological autopsies (2003 to 2010) or more variables were studied to establish a typical profile of suicide in Algeria. The studied variables were: age, sex, occupation, place of residence, the existence of life events, psychiatric history and possibly TS history, source of information (to whom we have collected information: father, mother, brother, sister…) and the proceeds used for suicide. In total we identified 1263 cases of suicide with age 15 and over occurred in populations of the North-eastern Algeria during the period from 2003 to 2010. It concludes with the emergence of some variables that may be risk factors namely Age between 30 and 45 years, male gender, social and financial difficulties especially bad life, presence of a psychiatric diagnosis on axis 1 of DSM IV and finally the lack of access to primary care in urban areas. The evaluation of the feasibility and reliability of psychiatric autopsies in Algeria remains lapsed due to non-standardized measurement tools and the difficulty of their implementation on the ground. Finally, the authors highlight the prevalence per 100,000 population per city and the average prevalence for all of East of Algeria.

Disclosure of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.