Theoretical Foundations of Psychological Autopsy and Its Potential Applications
Analysis and Evaluation of Lone-Actor Attacks, Particularly School Shootings
Copyright (c) 2026 Erdélyi Ákos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Psychological Autopsy (PA), as an applied psychological procedure, belongs to the category of less validated psychological methods. This is primarily due to the fact that PA lacks an exact, systematic methodology and, furthermore, its conceptualization is also defined rather briefly. What is certain, however, is that the original purpose of the method is to help determine whether a death occurred due to natural causes, an accident, suicide, or homicide. This foundational premise can be further developed and expanded to include the examination of radicalization processes in lone actor terrorsts’, such as school shooters or suicide bombers. The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to present the theoretical background of Psychological Autopsy, and second, to demonstrate its practical applicability. As can be established, even though PA lacks well-defined frameworks and methodology, its application undoubtedly elevates the toolkit of psychological procedures intended to support investigation and prevention efforts to a new level.
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