Post-homicidal suicides and mental disorders

Mental disorders (MD) are considered a significant factor in the commission of post-homicidal suicides (PHSUs). The aim of the study is to study the structure of MD among aggressors who committed PHSU in the regions of the Russian Federation (RF) and their socio-demographic and criminological indicators. Materials and methods. We examined 83 cases (61 men and 22 women, aged 18 to 78 years; average - 43.6±13.9 years) of PHSU committed by persons with MD and collected in electronic media in 37 regions of the Russian Federation. Clinical, sociodemographic and criminological indicators of PHSU were taken into account. The comparison group consisted of 312 cases (270 men and 42 women, aged 15 to 86 years; average - 41.9±14.2) of PHSU without MD from 78 regions of the Russian Federation. Mathematical and statistical processing was carried out using descriptive statistics, the distribution of x2 and t-criterion. Results. PHSU was more often performed by patients with alcohol addiction (27.7%) and various depressive conditions (21.7%). In the first case, these are, as a rule, men, in the second case, women. Children's PHSU clearly prevailed (33.7%); non-family PHSUs accounted for 19.3%, marital PHSUs and special PHSUs (mass, teenage, mercy killing, under a contract) - 18% each, family PHSUs - 10.8%. Men with MD more often committed spousal and out-of-family PHSU, women - children's PHSU. Of the weapons of murder and suicide, firearms (in men), falling (jumping) from a height, poisoning, drowning (in women), and strangulation (in women during murders) were significantly more often used. In men, among the victims, people aged 40 years and older prevailed, in women - children aged 0 to 17 years. Men more often (41%) women were in a state of alcoholic intoxication at the time of the tort. Criminals with MD differed from healthy individuals who committed PHSU by a twofold predominance of women (26.5% vs 13.5%), more often they committed children's PHSU; explosions were used for murders, cold steel, poisoning and self-arson were used for suicides. Conclusion. MD (depressive disorders, MD due to the use of psychoactive substances and psychotic disorders) play a significant role in the commission of PHSU. MD was more common in women, especially affective (depressive) disorders. Criminals with MD who committed PHSU differed from murderers without MD in a larger proportion of women, the predominant focus of aggression on children, murder weapons and suicide methods.