Profiles in Creativity: Marilyn Monroe

🧠 What is a Psychological Autopsy?

A psychological autopsy is a structured method—originating in Los Angeles in the late 1950s—to assess a deceased individual’s mental health and suicidal intention in ambiguous cases. It combines toxicology, medical records, interviews with those around the person, and psychiatric evaluations to determine likelihood of suicide versus accident or homicide Los Angeles Times+12Wikipedia+12Clinical Neuropsychiatry+12.

Monroe’s Psychological Autopsy: Findings & Diagnoses

1. Neurodevelopmental Vulnerabilities: Autism Spectrum Traits

A 2023–24 clinical neuropsychiatry report reconstructed Monroe’s mental-health trajectory. The authors propose she likely had high‑functioning autism spectrum traits (ASD)—without intellectual disability—which may have contributed both to her extraordinary creativity and emotional vulnerability PubMed.

2. Post-Traumatic Stress from Childhood Trauma

Monroe endured severe childhood trauma—multiple foster homes and sexual abuse—which likely triggered PTSD symptoms, particularly with underlying ASD increasing susceptibility to stress-related disorders Los Angeles Times+10CounselingRx+10ResearchGate+10.

3. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Numerous biographical and clinical reviews suggest Monroe exhibited core features of BPD: emotional instability, impulsivity, identity disturbance, tumultuous relationships, and recurrent self-harm ideation and behavior CounselingRx+1PubMed+1.

4. Progression to Bipolar Disorder with Catatonic Features

The illness trajectory described in the 2023 Clinical Neuropsychiatry article hypothesizes a progression into bipolar disorder—possibly with unspecified catatonic features in later episodes—triggered by cumulative trauma layered on existing ASD/BPD vulnerability EurekaMag+5PubMed+5Clinical Neuropsychiatry+5.

🧾 Formal Inquest and Psychiatric Panel Findings

• In August 1962, Deputy Coroner Thomas Noguchi performed the forensic autopsy and toxicology, determining acute barbiturate and chloral hydrate overdose as the cause of death, and officially ruling it a “probable suicide” Psychology Today+4Wikipedia+4Los Angeles Times+4.

• Meanwhile, a multidisciplinary psychiatric team consisting of Norman Farberow, Robert Litman, and Norman Tabachnick reviewed her psychiatric history, behavior, suicidal intent, and prior attempts. They concluded Monroe had long-standing psychiatric disturbance and had exhibited repeated self-harm ideation over the years, consistent with suicide—thus supporting the coroner’s ruling

📚 References

Monroe’s trajectory is reconstructed primarily via:

• Dell’Osso et al. (Dec 2023): “Illness trajectory… from autism spectrum disorder to borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder with catatonia” ResearchGate+7Clinical Neuropsychiatry+7ResearchGate+7Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1

• Biographical and psychiatric evaluations supporting BPD/PTSD CounselingRx+1PubMed+1

• Coroner’s autopsy and psychiatric panel findings Wikipedia+1Wikipedia+1