In psychiatry, the situation you describe—where a parent kills their child and then themselves—is generally called
filicide–suicide.
Key terms
- Filicide – the killing of one’s own child by a parent.
- Filicide–suicide – when the parent kills the child and then dies by suicide shortly after (or at the same time).
A specific subtype sometimes discussed
Psychiatrists sometimes describe cases where the parent believes they are
“saving” the child from suffering (due to severe depression or psychosis). This is sometimes called:
In those cases, the parent may believe the child cannot live without them or that the world will harm the child. Severe
Major Depressive Disorder,
Postpartum Depression, or
Postpartum Psychosis are sometimes involved, though not always.
Important note
Each case can be very different. Some involve:
- severe depression or psychosis
- extreme stress or domestic violence
- personality disorders
- impulsive acts during crisis
So psychiatrists usually
analyze the mental state of the parent before deciding which category best fits.
If you want, I can also explain the
5 classical psychiatric categories of filicide used in forensic psychology (it’s actually a very interesting classification used in court cases).
yes please
Forensic psychiatry often uses a classification proposed by the American psychiatrist
Phillip J. Resnick in 1969. He analyzed many cases of parents killing their children and described
five main types of filicide.
1.
The parent believes killing the child is
in the child’s best interest.
Typical situations:
- Severe Major Depressive Disorder
- Parent planning suicide and believes the child cannot survive without them
- Parent thinks they are saving the child from suffering
Example thinking:
This is
one of the most common types in filicide–suicide cases.
2.
The killing happens during
psychosis, where the parent loses contact with reality.
Often associated with:
- Schizophrenia
- Postpartum Psychosis
- severe Bipolar Disorder with psychosis
Possible delusions:
- believing the child is possessed
- believing the child is not really their child
- hearing command hallucinations
The act may seem
irrational and sudden.
3.
The child is killed because they are
perceived as unwanted or a burden.
More common in:
- neonaticide (killing of newborns)
- situations of extreme poverty
- young or socially isolated mothers
The motive is
removal of responsibility.
4.
The child dies
unintentionally, often during abuse or punishment.
Examples:
- severe physical punishment
- shaking the baby (related to Shaken Baby Syndrome)
The parent did
not intend to kill, but the abuse escalated.
5.
The child is killed
to emotionally punish the other parent.
Sometimes linked with:
- extreme jealousy
- divorce or custody battles
- personality disorders
The logic is:
✅
Important pattern:
When a parent
kills the child and then themselves, the case is often categorized as
altruistic filicide with suicide or sometimes
psychotic filicide, depending on the mental state.
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