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Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
[Mother's filicide with suicide attempt]
Gordana Misić-Pavkov1, Zoran Gajić, Boris Golubović
1Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Srpski Arhiv Za Celokupno Lekarstvo
|December 25, 2010
Summary
Filicide, the killing of a child by a parent, is often multifactorial. Maternal psychopathology and severe stress interact, but do not fully explain this violent act.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Filicide is the act of a parent killing their child.
- This case examines the interplay between maternal psychopathology and stress.
- Understanding filicide requires a multifactorial approach.
Observation:
- A mother with a history of suicide attempt and untreated depressive disorder committed filicide.
- She was diagnosed with acute psychotic disorder, depressive disorder, and histrionic personality disorder.
- The filicide occurred after prolonged conflict with her ex-husband.
Findings:
- Histrionic personality disorder alone does not explain the filicide.
- Maternal psychopathology and stress interact in complex ways.
- The motivation for filicide is not fully explained by the observed disorders.
Implications:
- Filicide is a complex act requiring dynamic, longitudinal evaluation.
- Further research into the interaction of personality disorders, dissociative states, and acute stress is needed.
- Understanding the subjective importance of stress is crucial for evaluating maternal mental state.
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