Comorbid Depression and Substance Abuse in Domestic Homicide: Missed Opportunities in the Assessment and Management of Mental Illness in Perpetrators:

Almost 40% of murdered women are victims of domestic homicide across the world. However, research has yet to examine comorbid depression and substance abuse in domestic homicide perpetrators, despite comorbid mental health conditions being associated with homicide in the general population. A retrospective case analysis approach was performed using domestic homicide cases that had been reviewed by the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee in Ontario, Canada. Group comparisons were made by compiling cases into groups based on perpetrators with depression and/or substance abuse: a no history of depression and/or substance use group, depression only group, substance abuse only group, and comorbid depression and substance abuse group. Statistical analyses compared groups on number and types of risk factors and service provider contacts. A major finding of the current study was the resounding lack of mental health care and batterer intervention program engagement across groups. Results also indicated that p...