Table 1

Mental Illness in Homicide-Suicide

AuthorsPeriodNation/Cityn casesNotesData SourcesKind of Mental Illness (MI)% MI% of MI in Treatment Before the H-S
Virkunnen311955–1970Finland126Central Statistical Office, hospital recordsSchizophrenia, paranoid psychosis, psychotic depression10
2
3
Gudjonsson and Petursson321900–1979Iceland4Police records, interviews with police, medical reportsPsychotic illness75
Allen281970–1979Los Angeles104Police filesDepression18
Rosenbaum271978–1987Albuquerque, New Mexico12Couples only (70.6% of the total of 17 H-S cases)Police files, interviews with family and friends, hospital recordsDepressive disorders (major depression, bipolar, dysthymia)7533
Milroy141975–1992Yorkshire and the Humber. UK52Coroners' recordsMental health issues21
Buteau et al.331988–1990Quebec39Coronial servicesAny mental disorder (substance abuse included), depression67
46		31
Milroy et al.291985–1989Victoria, Australia39Coronial servicesDepression, erotomania, morbid jealousy (Othello syndrome)18
Cohen et al.221988–1994Florida (west central and southeastern)48Twenty-seven cases of spousal H-S in old couples in west central Florida and 21 in Southeastern FloridaComplete medical examiner files and newspaper reportsDepression, other mental illnesses, alcohol/drug abuse29
6
6
Morton et al.201988–1992North Carolina99Only cases involving female victims (>15 years old) and perpetrated by an intimate partnerDatabase of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)Evidence of mental illness, substance abuse15
18
Lecomte and Fornes151991–1996Paris and suburbs56Police and judicial filesSevere depression, evidence of psychosis, chronic alcoholism75
9
29
Malphurs and Cohen341997–1999United States673Newspaper surveillanceHistory of psychiatric illness3.8
Bourget and Gagné351991-May 1998Quebec11Only cases of maternal filicide-suicideCoroners' filesDepression, psychosis82
9
Campanelli and Gilson361995–2000New Hampshire16Office of Chief Medical ExaminerDepression, chronic alcoholism, schizophrenia38
25
6
Chan et al.91989–1998Hong Kong56Coroner's CourtDepression, schizophrenia19.6
7.1
Hatters Friedman et al.371958–2002Cleveland30Only filicide- suicidesCoroners' filesDepression, psychosis, previous suicide attempt57
27
10
Malphurs and Cohen51998–1999Florida20Only spousal/consortial H-S involving perpetrators aged 55 years old and olderMedical examiner files and law enforcement investigative reportsDepressed mood, suicidal ideation, suicide threat65
20
15
Koziol-McLain et al.381994–2000United States (11 cities)67Only selected femicide-suicide casesPolice and medical examiner recordsAlcohol problem, substance abuse, suicide threats52
50
51
Bossarte et al.42003–2004Several of the United States209National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)Current mental illness, history of mental illness, current depression, alcohol/drug abuse, previous suicide attempts11
7.2
8.6
9.1
2.6
Moskowitz et al.391991–2000New Zealand33Police files and coroners' reportsMood disorder, schizophrenia or nonaffective psychosis anorexia nervosa27.3
12.1
3		24.2
Léveillée et al.401986-March 1994Quebec38Exclusively filicide-suicidesOffice of the Chief Coroner of QuebecDepressive disorders, substance abuse32
5
Saleva et al.2April 1987-March 1988Finland10Interviews with family, official policy, medical recordsMajor depression, possible depressive disorder, alcohol/drug abuse40
30
20
Gupta and Gambhir Singh412000–2004Jamnagar region of Gujarat, India8Police inquest, interviews with family, hospital indoor case papersMental illness12.5
Barber et al.42*2001–2002United States74Coroner or medical examiner reports, police recordsUse of antidepressants15
Logan et al.432003–200517 U.S. states408National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)Current depressed mood, current mental health problem, alcohol dependence, other substance abuse problem, history of suicide attempts, suspected intoxication, mental distress resulting in mercy killing12.5
13.7
6.1
5.6
3.4
22.3
4.9		9.6
12 (anti-depressants)
Yip et al.101989–2005Hong Kong99Death reports, investigation reports, autopsy reports, psychological reportsAny mental disorder17.4
Shiferaw et al.441956–2005Geneva, Switzerland23Coroners' recordsDepression, psychosis30
17
Gregory451993–2007Yorkshire and the Humber, UK30Coroners' recordsMental health issues7
Haines et al.4620 yearsTasmania22Coroners' recordsDepression, psychotic symptoms, alcohol abuse, psychiatric disturbance, psychiatric hospitalization9
9
32
14
25
Bourget et al.471992–2007Quebec15Only H-Ss perpetrated by individuals aged 65 or olderCoroners' filesMajor depression, other psychiatric disorder, other psychosis87
6
6
Dogan et al.482000–2007Konya, Turkey10The Konya Branch of the Forensic Medicine CouncilMajor depression, antisocial personality disorder, reactive depression in a pedophile20
10
10

  • ↵* We have included this study considering the use of antidepressants as a measure of mental illness, despite the diagnostic category.