ABSTRACT
The main function of the psychological autopsy is to clarify an equivocal
death and to arrive at the correct or accurate mode of that death. In essence,
the psychological autopsy is nothing less than a thorough retrospective
investigation of the intention of the decedent-that is, the decedent’s inten-
tion relating to his being dead-where the information is obtained by inter-
viewing individuals who knew the decedent’s actions, behavior, and character
well enough to report on them. (Leenaars, 1999, p. 388)
The paper, “The Psychological Autopsy” (1977; see Leenaars, 1999) provides,
according to Shneidman’s opinion, his best paper on the topic. It is an overview
of the PA procedure. Here are his words:
It is probably best to begin by defining a psychological autopsy and its
purposes, then to discuss some related theoretical background and ways
of actually performing psychological autopsies. The words psychological
autopsy themselves tell us that the procedure has to do with clarifying
the nature of a death and that it focuses on the psychological aspects of
the death . . . ideas, important to understanding the psychological autopsy,
need to be discussed. The first is what I have called the NASH classifica-
tion of deaths.
