NCJ Number
243484
Journal
PLoS ONE Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2013 Pages: 1-8
Date Published
April 2013
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between filicide and mental illness at the time of the offence, and care received from mental health services in the past.
Abstract
Most child victims of homicide are killed by a parent or step-parent. This large population study provides a contemporary and detailed description of filicide perpetrators. The authors examined the relationship between filicide and mental illness at the time of the offence, and care received from mental health services in the past. All filicide and filicide-suicide cases in England and Wales (1997-2006) were drawn from a national index of homicide perpetrators. Data on people in contact with mental health services were obtained via a questionnaire from mental health teams. Additional clinical information was collected from psychiatric reports. Six thousand one hundred forty four people were convicted of homicide, 297 were filicides, and 45 cases were filicide-suicides. One hundred ninety five (66 percent) perpetrators were fathers. Mothers were more likely than fathers to have a history of mental disorder (66 percent v 27 percent) and symptoms at the time of the offence (53 percent v 23 percent), most often affective disorder. Seventeen percent of mothers had schizophrenia or other delusional disorders. Overall 8 percent had schizophrenia. Thirty seven percent were mentally ill at the time of the offence. Twenty percent had previously been in contact with mental health services, 12 percent within a year of the offence. In the majority of cases, mental illness was not a feature of filicide. However, young mothers and parents with severe mental illness, especially affective and personality disorder who are providing care for children, require careful monitoring by mental health and other support services. Identifying risk factors for filicide requires further research. (Published Abstract)