Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy
Open Access

Filicidal women, a South African perspective

Joint Event on 3^rd International Conference on Forensic Psychology & Criminology & 3^rd International Congress on Addictive Behavior and Dual Diagnosis

August 16-17, 2018 | Stockholm, Sweden

Ugasvaree Subramaney

University of the Witwatersrand,
South Africa

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother

Abstract :

Filicide, the offspring murder of a child, in the context of suffering from a severe mental illness (SMI), is a grave social issue that requires scientific and practical intervention efforts from a mental health perspective. The psychological prevention and rehabilitation interventions of women who are vulnerable to, or who had committed the act of filicide, is compromised within the South African context and abroad, based on the gaps in the current scientific knowledge base. Research investigations on the subject are limited to quantitative studies. Consequently, the literature lacks in-depth understandings regarding the women�??s experiences, obtained directly from the population concerned. Methods: The author discusses the referral of women for psychiatric observation in the context of mental health, their outcomes and rehabilitation. Qualitative research based on the experiences of 7 women that committed filicide, in terms of their thoughts and feelings about the offence, as well as their rehabilitation together with findings of female offenders over a 10 year period will be discussed. A specific focus on the development and implementation of a rehabilitation centre geared towards the management of female offenders, including filicidal women will be reviewed. Findings: It is argued that the unique needs of the female offender population in SA more qualitative research on female offenders is needed, as information yielded by such studies would offer more comprehensive understandings and allow better identifiable opportunities for intervention purposes.

Biography :

U Subramaney completed her PhD in Psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg SA and postdoctoral studies in Traumatic Stress studies from UCLA, the Semel institute of biobehavioral Sciences. She is the clinical head of department at Sterkfontein Psychiatric hospital, where she works as a forensic psychiatrist. She has researched and published widely on the subject of female forensic psychopathology, and is activeldy involved in teaching and training at the University’s school of clinical medicine.

E-mail: Ugasvaree.Subramaney@wits.ac.za