Psychological Autopsy (PA) has become widespread to the point of being applied in many diverse fields. However, it is difficult to identify a standard model. In this systematic review, we focused on PA studies assessing mental illness as a major risk factor for suicide. The research, performed on Scopus, Embase, and Pubmed to cover the last 20 years led to 321 reports of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. Results confirmed mental illness as the main risk factor for suicide, followed by specific socio-demographic factors and life events. The analysis of methodologies depicted a still highly heterogeneous scenario, especially regarding data collection and variables included. However, concerning psychiatric evaluations, an initial standardization process of PA models emerged. In conclusion, the approach is in evolution, and novel guidelines are needed to promote the application of PA as a fundamental tool to inform suicide prevention efforts and to assist forensic examiners in court.

中文翻译：

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记住过去：心理尸检的系统回顾

心理尸检（PA）已经广泛应用到许多不同的领域。然而，很难确定标准模型。在本次系统评价中，我们重点关注 PA 研究，评估精神疾病是自杀的主要危险因素。这项研究在 Scopus、Embase 和 Pubmed 上进行，涵盖过去 20 年，得出 321 份报告，其中 15 份符合纳入标准。结果证实精神疾病是自杀的主要危险因素，其次是特定的社会人口因素和生活事件。方法分析描绘了一个仍然高度异构的场景，特别是在数据收集和所包含的变量方面。然而，关于精神病学评估，PA 模型的初步标准化过程出现了。总之，这种方法正在不断发展，需要新的指南来促进 PA 作为基本工具的应用，为自杀预防工作提供信息并协助法庭上的法医检查人员。