Prospects of psychological autopsy in investigative psychology of Japan

Abstract

Psychological autopsy is an attempt to reconstruct a person's psychological state prior to equivocal death, focusing on their personalities, thought processes, and the involvement they had in their death (Canter, 1999, p. 125). First, we intend to discuss the concept of psychological autopsy in the Japanese investigative psychology, by clarifying its theoretical position in that field, history, definition, procedure, and problem, in addition to the forensic concept and the system of inquest in Japan. Secondly, we intend to discuss the outlook for the prospects of the study of psychological autopsy in Japanese investigative psychology. Especially, we discuss that the prospects of psychological autopsy study needs three aspects, which are respectively theoretical, empirical, and practical aspects in Japan.