The validity of diagnoses obtained through the psychological autopsy procedure in adolescent suicide victims: use of family history.

A test of validity of the psychiatric diagnoses obtained by the psychological autopsy procedure is described in a consecutive series of 67 adolescent suicide victims. Family history of mental illness in first-degree relatives of subjects was obtained blind to subject diagnosis using the family history method. It was hypothesized that subjects with a given diagnosis, compared with subjects without this diagnosis, would show an increased rate of this disorder among first-degree relatives. This hypothesis was supported insofar as specific associations between subject diagnosis and familial rates of illness were demonstrated for major depression, bipolar illness, conduct and antisocial disorder and substance abuse. These results provide further support for the validity of diagnoses obtained through the psychological autopsy procedure.