Year: 2007 Source: World Psychiatry, v.6, no.3, (October 2007), p.137-141 SIEC No: 20080285

This paper reviews maternal filicide, giving separate consideration to maternal homicide-suicide. 16-29% of filicides end in completed suicide by the mother. Many other mothers make non-fatal suicide attempts in association with the murder of their children. Filicide-suicides seem to have much in common with filicides committed by severely mentally ill mothers. Most frequently, the motive is altruistic. Research evidence shows maternal filicide-suicide perpetrators killed older children more often than infants. There was often evidence of depression or psychosis. (72 refs.)