Suicide and the Publicly Exposed Pedophile

Background: Current clinical wisdom is that the vast majority of those who complete suicide suffer from a mental disorder. Uncritical adherence to this belief may limit our understanding and restrict the full range of prevention activities. We aimed to examine the public record for accounts of suicide by men who had been, or were about to be, investigated or apprehended for “sex only” child sex offences, with a view to presenting a collection of case histories, and identifying examples of suicide in the apparent absence of mental disorder other than pedophilia. Methods: The public record (hard and electronic copy) was examined. Results: Twenty case histories were identified of men with no apparent mental disorder (other than pedophilia) who completed suicide shortly after exposure or threatened public exposure and/or early or potential legal punishment. Conclusion: This evidence strongly suggests that exposure or threatened public exposure of pedophilia and/or early or potential legal punishment creates a predicament, which may lead to completed suicide.

Medicalisation of Suicide

Medicalisation is the misclassification of non-medical problems as medical problems. A common form of medicalisation is the misclassification of normal distress as a mental disorder (usually a mood disorder). Suicide is medicalised when it is considered a medical diagnosis per se, when it is considered to be secondary to a mental disorder when no mental disorder is present, and when no mental disorder is present but the management of suicidal behaviour associated with distress is believed to be the sole responsibility of mental health professionals. In the West, psychological autopsies have led to the belief that all or almost all suicide is the result of mental disorder. However, there are reservations about the scientific status of such studies. The actions of psychological autopsy researchers, coroners/magistrates, police, policy writers, and grieving relatives all contribute. Medicalisation of suicide has the potential to distort research findings, and caution is recommended.

Perfil multidimensional de personas que han realizado intento de suicidio / Multidimensional profile of people who have attempted to commit suicide

Establecer el perfil multidimensional de personas con intento de suicidio. Seestudiaron 116 personas reportadas con intento de suicidio en servicios de urgenciase instituciones educativas del departamento del Huila. Diseño descriptivo; conentrevista semi-estructurada, prueba de personalidad, inventario de depresión,evaluación de alcoholismo, evaluación de ideación e intento de suicidio. Elperfil multidimensional se caracterizó: adolescentes rurales, adultos citadinos;son de consideración: ama de casa, con relación de pareja estable, y personassolas, divorciadas, desempleadas. La relación neuroticismo bajo y piscoticismoalto podría ayudar a explicar que el intento de suicidio haya sido realizado de“repente” sin existir ningún síntoma previo. La estructura y dinámica familiardisfuncional están altamente asociadas a la persona con intento de suicidio.

The purpose of this study is to establish a multidimensional profile of peoplewho have attempted to commit suicide. 116 cases of people with reported suicideattempts in emergency rooms and educational institutions in the department ofHuila were studied. This was a descriptive study, with a semi-structured interview,personality test, depression inventory, alcohol evaluation, ideation and suicideattempt evaluations. The multidimensional profile consisted of adolescents fromrural areas, city-dwelling adults, also taking into account housewives with stablerelationships, single, divorced and unemployed persons. The relationship betweenlow neuroticism and high psychoticism could help to explain ‘unexpected’suicide attempts without previous symptoms. The structure and dynamics ofdysfunctional families are strongly associated with suicide attempts.

Estabelecer o perfil multidimensional de pessoas com tentativa de suicídio.Se estudaram 116 pessoas reportadas com tentativa de suicídio em serviços deurgências e instituições educativas do departamento do Huila. Foi um estudodescritivo, com uma entrevista semi-estruturada, teste personalidade, o inventariode depressão, avaliações do álcool, da ideação suicida e tentativa de suicidio.O perfil multidimensional se caracterizou: adolescentes rural, adultos citadinos;são de consideração dona de casa, com relação de casal estável; e pessoas sós,divorciadas, desempregadas. A relação neuroticismo baixo e piscoticismo alto,poderia ajudar a explicar que a tentativa de suicídio tenha sido realizado de“repente” sem existir nenhum sintoma prévio. A estrutura e dinâmica familiardisfuncional estão altamente associadas à pessoa com tentativa de suicídio.