Now with the Lake County (IL) Coroner supporting some murder/suicides of the elderly, it is worth looking at some of the professional literature on the subject. It isn’t merely another “choice,” but often is a result of spousal abuse and depression. This is from an abstract of a 2005 article in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychology (13:211-217, March 2005):
Homicide—suicide perpetrators displayed significantly more domestic violence or were caregivers for their wives, in contrast to suicide perpetrators, who had health problems and were receiving care from their spouses. Both groups of perpetrators had reported depressed mood, and there were no differences in sociodemographic factors.
Conclusions: Depression plays a significant role in both homicide—suicide and suicide, but the associated factors are different: we see caregiving strain in perpetrators of homicide-suicide, and living with physical health disorders as a care-recipient in men who commit suicide. Marital conflict is a significant factor in some spousal homicide-suicides. (My emphasis.)
The answer isn’t a pat on the back (figuratively speaking) to murder-suicides, as Coroner Richard Keller has done. It is unequivocal opposition to suicide—not to mention murder—suicide prevention, and increased and improved care for the at-risk elderly.
HT: Alex Schadenberg.
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