Method of homicide and severe mental illness: A systematic review

Abstract

There is limited research that has examined offense characteristics in homicides committed by individuals with mental illness and with differing psychiatric diagnoses. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize previous findings of studies analyzing homicide behavior by mentally ill individuals, and reporting any associations between mental illness and method of homicide. We searched four databases (MedLine, PsychINFO, Web of Science and Embase), and identified 52 relevant articles for analysis. Of these 52 articles, nine reported specific information on mental illness and method of homicide. Five out of nine articles revealed an association between schizophrenia/delusional disorder and the use of sharp instruments as a method of homicide. Four out of nine studies revealed an association between mood disorders (bipolar disorder/major depression) and strangulation/asphyxiation/suffocation/drowning. Our review confirms consistency across studies reporting a significant association between close contact methods and schizophrenia/mood disorders. Also identified as possible influential factors concerning weapon choice are illness duration, victim characteristics and planning/lack of planning of the homicide. Additionally, studies revealed up to 96% of severely mentally ill offenders experienced psychiatric symptoms at the time of the homicide. Future research may examine the presence of specific psychiatric symptoms when a mentally ill offender commits a homicide and whether these may be more influential in the method of homicide used than the psychiatric diagnosis of the offender.

Intra- and extra-familial child homicide in Sweden 1992–2012: A population-based study

“…Thus, it is possible that the offenders in our sample may be disproportionately composed of perpetrators of "abnormal homicide"a loosely defined term often used in reference to homicides committed by individuals who are afflicted with mental illness or who commit suicide in conjunction with homicide (Coid, 1983;Simpson, Skipworth, Mckenna, Moskowitz, & Barry-Walsh, 2006). Indeed, that supposition is supported by the association between mental illness and close-contact methods of homicide (Abreu Minero et al, 2017), combined with the reduced likelihood of clearance in cases that involve distant-contact methods such as shooting .…”

“…Moreover, an association between deliberate self-harm and violent criminalityindependent of concurrent psychiatric disorderhas been shown in a large cohort study from Sweden (Sahlin et al, 2017). Further, a recent review has examined the association between type of mental illness in homicide offenders and the means of violence used to perpetrate their lethal acts (Abreu Minero, Barker, & Bedford, 2017); the authors found significant associations between schizophrenia/delusional disorder and sharp violence, and between mood disorders and asphyctic violence.…”

Homicide Profiles Based on Crime Scene and Victim Characteristics

“…Currently, there is a widespread interest in the study of homicide, not only by international organizations, such as the UNODC and the World Health Organization [2,3,4,5], but also by the academic world, where numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to extend the knowledge of this criminal phenomenon from diverse perspectives (socio-cultural development factors, psychopathological, neuropsychological) [6,7,8,9].…”

Patricide and overkill: a review of the literature and case report of a murder with Capgras delusion

“…Globally, the choice of the weapon used to carry out a homicide depends on many variables, such as the context in which the murder takes place and the social availability of the instrument used [3,36]. Thus, homicide by firearms is more frequent in the USA and Italy, as a result of less restrictive gun laws and homicides involving organized crime, respectively [36][37][38]. For parricide, firearms are quoted as the main weapon used in the studies carried out in the USA [39].…”