title: Mortality rates of males who commit parricide or other violent offense against a parent.
abstract: Clinical information on parricidal offenders has accumulated in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the mortality of matricidal and patricidal offenders in detail by using a comprehensive national data set with follow-up ranging from 3 to 24 years. The sample included forensic psychiatric examination statements and mortality data of 99 matricidal, 113 patricidal, and 111 control male violent offenders evaluated in a forensic psychiatric examination from 1973 to 2004 in Finland. The Standardized Mortality Ratio among parricidal offenders 25 to 49 years of age was increased compared with that of the general population. One-third of deaths among parricidal offenders were attributable to suicide. The matricidal males who committed suicide had a significantly shorter survival time after the offense than did the patricidal and control offenders who died by suicide. The results of the present study are compared with the previous study findings on parricidal offenders and offenders in general.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FIN-90014, Oulu, Finland. anu.liettu@mail.suomi.net
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liettu
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Säävälä
authors.forename: Pirkko
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joukamaa
authors.forename: Helinä
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hakko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005220:Fathers; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention