Psychological autopsy as a tool for identifying suicide risk factors in adolescents: A systematic review

Abstract

Suicide among adolescents is a public health problem due to the interplay of multiple factors involved in its occurrence. The objective of this study was to analyze the scientific evidence regarding the usefulness of psychological autopsy in identifying risk factors for suicide among adolescents. A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and selected and evaluated 14 original articles using the CRF-QS instrument. The related findings showed that psychological autopsy makes it possible to access retrospective information from various sources and to identify risk factors for mental health problems, a history of suicidal behavior, violence, family conflicts, social isolation, academic difficulties, substance use, and issues related to the digital environment. Thus, the psychological autopsy allows us to look beyond the completed act to reconstruct the circumstances that preceded it and highlight factors that might otherwise go unnoticed.