Overview
Forensic suicidology is the branch of forensic psychiatry
dealing with legal cases involving suicide behavior. The science of suicidology
concerns the study of suicide, including causation as well as the diagnosis,
treatment and prevention of suicide. In addition to his work as a forensic
psychiatrist and forensic suicidologist, Dr. Dorpat practices psychiatry
and psychoanalysis.
Dr. Dorpat's interest and involvement in forensic suicidology stems in part from the research he performed on 114 completed suicides and 121 attempted suicides early in his career. For the completed suicides he used a new methodology developed by himself and other pioneers in suicidology called the psychological autopsy. In brief, this involved interviews with friends and relatives of the deceased, plus a review of medical, psychiatric and other records of the deceased. The analysis of this information provided important information about the kinds of psychiatric and mental problems connected with the suicide as well as the proximal and more distal causes for the suicide. Both the knowledge he gleaned from this and other research on suicidology have proven to be invaluable aids in his forensic work.
The majority of his forensic cases have involved lawsuits related to some type of suicidal behavior (either attempted or completed suicide). He has served as an expert witness in over 110 malpractice cases involving suits brought mainly by suicide survivors against physicians (predominantly psychiatrists) and/or general hospitals or psychiatric hospitals. He has worked with attorneys in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. After reviewing the medical and psychiatric records of the deceased, and conducting a psychological autopsy, he presents his opinions to the attorneys he works for. The number of cases he has worked on are fairly evenly divided between working for the plaintiff or the defense.
In the past thirty-five years Dr. Dorpat has been called on as an expert witness in eleven cases involving the suicide of inmates in jails. In one lawsuit against a jail, Dr. Dorpat's report to the plaintiff's attorney persuaded the defense attorney to settle the case. To obtain a copy of that report, click on [include report to J. Michael K.]
Dr. Dorpat has also performed psychological autopsies on a number of cases where the determination of the cause of death (i.e. suicide, murder, and accident) was a crucial legal issue.
Services
Provided
As a forensic suicidologist, Dr. Dorpat assists the
attorney in all phases and aspects of a case, both prior to and during
a deposition or trial, including:
Attorneys dealing with cases involving suicide behavior (i.e. attempted or completed suicide) should utilize a forensic suicidologist in order that the science of suicidology be represented by a professional skilled in both the clinical and theoretical aspects of that discipline.
Case
Vignettes
The following four case vignettes discuss some of
the important clinical and forensic issues involved in my practice of
forensic suicidology. In the interest of preserving the privacy of suicide
victims and their survivors, I have not included the full names of those
who committed suicide.
Case #1. Was it Suicide or Was it Murder?
Some of the most scientifically challenging cases are those involving
the decision of whether the cause of death is suicide, murder, or an
accident. In one case I worked with the plaintiff's attorney in a case
against the County Coroner. The subject was a middle-aged realtor found
lying on his back near a path in a park one January. He had been shot
through the back of his head, and the pistol used in the shooting was
lying next to his body. He was dressed in an overcoat, and when found
he was wearing heavy gloves. I performed a psychological autopsy interviewing
friends and relatives and found no psychological data favoring the hypothesis
that he had killed himself. On the witness stand I was asked to put
on the gloves the deceased has worn and to attempt to put my gloved
forefinger of my right hand into the place for it next to the trigger.
I could not do so because the glove was too big for the space in front
of the trigger. The plaintiff's attorney also showed that my hand was
considerably smaller than that of the deceased client. Even without
the glove on I could not place the pistol nozzle against the back of
my neck in such a way as to replicate the execution-style shooting of
the deceased attorney. The jury found for the plaintiff. The coroner
was compelled to change the designation of the case from suicide to
murder.
Case #2. Does Hazing Cause Suicide?
David was a 19-year-old university freshman who hanged
himself in his fraternity room following initiation week in which he
and other initiates were hazed. David's survivors sued the fraternity
claiming that the hazing caused humiliation and depression, and that
the latter, in turn, led to his suicide.
Based on my review of many documents and depositions, I came to the following conclusions. I did not believe that hazing caused David's depression or suicide. He was depressed for months preceding the hazing. A major cause of his depression were his poor grades and the shame he felt in relation to family members who expected better grades from him. Also, my review of the scientific literature on hazing failed to uncover a single case of suicide caused by hazing. The defense obtained a settlement in their favor in large part due to the merits of my arguments against the hypothesis that the hazing had caused David's suicide.
Case #3. Accident or Suicide?
A young attorney's body was found at the base of a 100-foot cliff. Though
the coroner ruled the cause of death to be "undetermined," the attorney's
insurance company declared the cause of death to be a suicide and refused
to pay death benefits to the attorney's wife. There was some evidence
favoring the hypothesis of suicide, such as the attorney's history of
receiving psychiatric treatment for depression. There was also evidence
supporting the hypothesis that this had been an accident, including
the fact he loved hiking in wooded areas such as the one where he lost
his life. The victim had frequently been accident-prone. This accounted
for multiple hiking and climbing accidents, as well as other types of
accidents.
In my opinion, there was insufficient evidence to prove either suicide or accident as the cause of death. I concluded that the coroner was correct in his judgment that the cause of death was "undetermined." My testimony helped the plaintiff (the wife of the deceased attorney) get the insurance company to revoke its decision that the death had been the result of a suicide, and to pay the insurance death benefits to the wife.
Case #4. Accident or Suicide and Murder?
Another complex case involved the sudden death of four men in the crash
of a small airplane in Alaska. The survivors of the crash sued the company
that owned the airplane. I worked for the defense counsel and performed
a psychological autopsy on the fisherman who had paid for the flight.
The plane had just taken off from an airport when suddenly it went into
a nosedive and crashed into a small, shallow lake. The alcoholic, depressed
and recently divorced fisherman hired the airplane and the pilot, and
he had invited two of his drinking buddies to sit in the back seat of
the plane. The official investigators who inspected the crash site found
physical evidence supporting their reconstruction that the depressed
fisherman who sat in the front seat beside the pilot had seized control
of the plane and sent it into the nosedive. What clinched the case for
the defendant was the fact that, while intoxicated five days before
his death, the fisherman had joked with others about his plan to take
a one-way flight. The airplane company won the suit. The case was officially
designated as one of suicide for the fisherman and murder for the three
other occupants of the plane.
Psychiatric
Evaluations
Evaluating Suicides in Jail. In the past 30 years,
I have been called on as an expert witness in 11 cases involving the
suicides of inmates in jail. In evaluating whether or not jail personnel
have been negligent in the care of inmates, I have used three types
of criteria as articulated in the following types of publications. First,
the state laws. The laws of most states require that all prisoners receive
screening upon admission, and that prisoners shall be provided with
medical diagnosis or treatment as necessary. Also, state laws require
all jails to have arrangements for emergency mental illness care for
prisoners. The second criteria that I use are the printed rules, regulations
and procedure manuals of the particular jail in question concerning
the mental health evaluation, treatment, suicide prevention as well
as other procedures concerning the care of prisoners. The third criteria
I use are the guidelines provided by professional and scientific literature
regarding the screening and evaluation of suicidal prisoners and the
methods of suicide prevention. In one lawsuit against a jail, my report
to the plaintiff's attorney persuaded the defense attorney to settle
the case.
Click here to view or print this report
(PDF file)
Publications
on Suicide
The following are three of the more informative and
important papers on suicide written by Dr. Dorpat. He has written
sixty-one publications on suicide. The first
two papers provide guidelines on diagnosis, treatment, prevention of
suicide and clinical management of suicidal patients.
1. Dorpat, T. L.
and Ripley, H. S. Evaluation and management of suicidal behavior.
J. Fam. Prac., 4:461-464, 1977.
2. Ripley, H. S. and Dorpat, T. L. Prevention and treatment
of suicidal behavior.
J. Prevent. Psychiatry, 1:15-31, 1984.
3. Dorpat, T. L. Suicide. In: The New Oxford Medical
Companion,
eds. J. Walton, J. Barondess, & S. Lock. Oxford University
Press 2000.
Click
here to view or print a complete listing of Dr. Dorpat's Publications
on Suicide (PDF file)
General
Publications
The following PDF file contains a complete
list of Dr. Dorpat's 361 publications including books, chapters, articles,
and reviews.
Click
here to view or print a complete listing of Dr. Dorpat's Publications
(PDF file)
Biography
Theo. L. Dorpat, M.D. is a nationally and internationally
recognized psychoanalyst and forensic psychiatrist whose work has been
call "in the forefront of creative integration of psychoanalysis with
contemporary thought."
Dr. Dorpat has more than 40 years' experience in
research and practice, is clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the University
of Washington, Training and Supervising Analyst with the Seattle Institute
for Psychoanalysis, and maintains a private practice in psychoanalysis,
psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. psychiatry and forensic psychiatry.
He is a Board-certified member of the American Psychoanalytic Association
and a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners, and has
served on numerous psychoanalytic editorial boards.
SPECIALTIES
Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners
Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
Board Certified in Psychoanalysis
Expert on Suicidology
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Over forty years in the practice of psychiatry, psychoanalysis,
and forensic suicidology.
Member of over thirty-five professional organizations (see c.v.).
Past Director of the Seattle Psychoanalytic Institute
Winner of 355 prizes, honors and awards (see c.v.).
Author of four books and over 361 other scientific publications.
Author of 61 publications on suicide behavior.
Extensive research done on suicide behavior.
Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University
of Washington, Seattle.
Curriculum
Vitae
Dr. Ted Dorpat's Curriculum Vitae is both extensive
and informative.
Included in the full version of the C.V.:
Education and Faculty Positions
Honors, Awards and Biographical Listings
Organizations - Memberships and Offices Held
Special Local, National and International Responsibilities
Scientific Publications
Publications on Suicide
Editorial Boards and Journal Responsibilities
Click here to view or print Dr. Dopat's Curriculum Vitae (PDF file)