What Is A Psychological Autopsy?
Everyone probably knows what a traditional medical autopsy is
, but most people have very little idea of what constitutes a psychological autopsy unless they are into psychology. This type of autopsy is simply an autopsy of the state of mind of the individual after death. These types of autopsies can be very useful in a variety of cases. For example, a forensic psychologist might conduct a psychological autopsy on someone who killed his or her family and then committed suicide, or a spree murderer. They could also shed light on whether or not a death was a suicide, accident, or murder. In fact, there are countless reasons that it might be a good idea to have a psychological autopsy.How does the psychologist conduct this type of forensic investigation? The first thing that he or she is going to need to do is gather information, and often this information is going to come through interviews done with family and friends. The medical history of the subject is also important. Illnesses, medications, and other factors could contribute to their current state, and knowing these things found only in the medical records is going to be very valuable.
Some of the information the psychologist is going to need includes the age, the occupation, marital status, quality of relationships, alcohol and drug abuse, lifestyle, and more. Finding out the family history, delving into any criminal history, and even personal journals are able to shed more light onto the situation.
The validity of a psychological autopsy can be difficult to determine. Some people may have trouble accepting the findings of a psychologist alone to determine the cause of death or the reason a person acted a certain way. In many cases, the autopsy of the mind isnt the only thing that the authorities are doing to get to the bottom of a case. Other forensic experts, such as ballistics or blood spatter experts, are investigating as well. Together, they are able to come up with a more complete picture of what happened. The mental autopsy is just one tool of many.
These types of investigations are just one of the many different types of investigations and jobs that a forensic psychologists working with law enforcement might have to conduct. If the job sounds interesting, then you should make sure that you start looking into how to get your degree and your doctorate. Its a great career thats always going to be able to provide some surprises.
by: Anita Schepers