What is a Psychological Autopsy Investigation (PAI)?
A PAI is an investigatory “autopsy of a suicidal mind” performed after an individual’s death in cases that are, or may be, the result of suicide. If an examination of the evidence indicates that the individual ("Decedent") most likely died by suicide, the investigator then engages in a deep-dive quest (reviews relevant documents, social media posts and written materials, and interviews friends, family, medical providers, etc.) to understand the inner workings of the "suicidal mind” of Decedent.
Why do one?
A PAI is performed with the goal of making sense of an individual’s suicide, but also with the long-term goal of, hopefully, understanding the commonalities of suicides in an effort to guide prevention efforts.
After a suicide, loved ones left behind often struggle to understand it; and they seek answers to their questions namely: 1) Why did this person die by suicide? and 2) What, if anything, could have been done to prevent it? A PAI is the best tool currently available to obtain the data necessary to answer these questions.
After a suicide, loved ones left behind often struggle to understand it; and they seek answers to their questions namely: 1) Why did this person die by suicide? and 2) What, if anything, could have been done to prevent it? A PAI is the best tool currently available to obtain the data necessary to answer these questions.
What is the benefit? What can I hope to learn?
Once an investigator is successful in gaining an understanding of the inner workings of Decedent's "suicidal mind," the investigator may then, in essence, "speak" for Decedent, communicating Decedent's experience from Decedent's perspective; to convey, for the benefit of loved ones left behind, the trajectory of thoughts that culminated in Decedent's loss of desire to continue living. In many cases, as loved ones gain additional insight and come to understand the depth of pain and suffering (aka "Psychache") Decedent experienced, this understanding may allow for a sense of compassionate peace in the wake of their loss.
WHo certifies someone to do this?
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) provides certifications for investigators to complete PAIs. The AAS is the oldest and most prominent organization engaged in the study of suicidology. The AAS was founded in 1968 by Edwin Shneidman, an American psychologist and a pioneer in study of suicidology.
The AAS psychological autopsy investigator certification™ is the premier certification program for psychological autopsy investigators. |
According to the AAS, a psychological autopsy performed by a certified professional “is a best practice postmortem data collection procedure performed in addition to any other official death examination. A psychological autopsy helps to reconstruct the proximate and distal contributing factors of an individual’s death by suicide and document the most likely manner of death where that manner of death is equivocal and left undetermined by a medical examiner or coroner.” |