Psychological Autopsy as a Research Approach for Studying Gifted Adolescents who Commit Suicide

Investigations into the area of gifted adolescent suicide are hampered by the infrequent occurrence of this phenomenon & other factors such as the stigma attached to suicide. The body of knowledge on this topic can be increased by utilizing alternative research approaches such as psychological autopsies, a retrospective approach to studying suicide. The psychological autopsy & its use in studying the suicides of 3 gifted adolescents are described in this article. (14 refs.)