The Prevalence, Demographic, and Clinical Characteristics of the Mass-Murder and Mass-Shooting Events in Thailand between 1994-2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61462/cujss.v54i1.2898Keywords:
Mass Murder, Mass Shooting, Serious Mental Illness with High Risk of ViolenceAbstract
The mass murder and mass shooting events that occurred in Thailand have led to a tragic death and several negative impacts on society. The objectives of this research are to create a database of mass murder and mass shooting incidents in Thailand, analyze related factors, and offer opinions from a psychiatric perspective. The researchers conducted a retrospective descriptive study by searching for mass murder and mass shooting cases in Thailand between 1994 and 2023 using international academic definitions. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the perpetrators, victims, and environmental factors were collected. Over the past 30 years, there have been a total of 78 incidents, 65 of which were mass murders, and 49 were mass shooting events. The prominent characteristics of mass murderers were men (89.23%) who used firearms (66.16%), had a history of illicit drug use (27.69%), had a history of gun training (20%), and had high-risk psychiatric disorders (7.7%). A total of 348 deaths were reported. In conclusion, mass murder and mass shooting events in Thailand have occurred regularly and are rising. Access to firearms, gun training, and illicit drugs may be contributing factors to these incidents. The history of psychiatric disorders was presented less frequently. Future improvements to preventative policies could result from establishing a Thai database and ongoing academic research on these occurrences.
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