The Role of Affect Regulation in a Case of Attempted Maternal Filicide-Suicide

The scarce empirical research into maternal filicide-suicide has resulted in a number of descriptive risk factors for the offender. The aim of this paper is to highlight the interaction amongst these risk factors via a case study of a woman who survived a filicide-suicide the child also survived. The authors conclude that in order to better understand & prevent this type of crime, clinical social workers & other mental health professionals should take into account affect dysregulation as opposed to focusing merely on descriptive characteristics. (13 refs.) JA