Suicidality in family caregivers of people with long-term illnesses and disabilities: a scoping review

Siobhan T. O'Dwyer; Astrid Janssens; Anna Sansom; Lucy Biddle; Becky Mars; Thomas Slater; Paul Moran; Paul Stallard; Julia Melluish; Lisa Reakes; Anna Walker; Charmaine Andrewartha; Richard P. Hastings

doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152261

Suicidality in family caregivers of people with long-term illnesses and disabilities: a scoping review

Siobhan T. O'Dwyer^*, Astrid Janssens, Anna Sansom, Lucy Biddle, Becky Mars, Thomas Slater, Paul Moran, Paul Stallard, Julia Melluish, Lisa Reakes, Anna Walker, Charmaine Andrewartha, Richard P. Hastings

^*Corresponding author for this work

Social Work and Social Care

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

An emerging body of international research suggests family caregivers may be a high-risk group for suicide, but the evidence has not been synthesised. Forty-eight peer-reviewed journal articles were included in this review, spanning low-, middle-, and high-income countries and a variety of illnesses and disabilities. The proportion of caregivers experiencing suicidal ideation ranged from 2.7% to 71%, with evidence of suicide attempts, deaths by suicide, and deaths by homicide-suicide also reported. Risk and protective factors varied across studies and there was little consideration of differences by caregiving relationship, type of illness/disability, or country. There is sufficient evidence to warrant concern for caregivers around the world and prompt action in policy and practice, but more rigorous research is required to draw clear, nuanced conclusions about risk and inform evidence-based prevention and intervention.

Original language	English
Article number	152261
Number of pages	23
Journal	Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume	110
Early online date	8 Jul 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152261
Publication status	Published - Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Dr. Siobhan O'Dwyer is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula . Paul Moran and Becky Mars are part-funded by the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol . The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

Keywords

Caregivers
Carers
Chronic illness
Disability
Homicide
Suicide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152261Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)

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Cite this

O'Dwyer, S. T., Janssens, A., Sansom, A., Biddle, L., Mars, B., Slater, T., Moran, P., Stallard, P., Melluish, J., Reakes, L., Walker, A., Andrewartha, C., & Hastings, R. P. (2021). Suicidality in family caregivers of people with long-term illnesses and disabilities: a scoping review. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 110, Article 152261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152261

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abstract = "An emerging body of international research suggests family caregivers may be a high-risk group for suicide, but the evidence has not been synthesised. Forty-eight peer-reviewed journal articles were included in this review, spanning low-, middle-, and high-income countries and a variety of illnesses and disabilities. The proportion of caregivers experiencing suicidal ideation ranged from 2.7% to 71%, with evidence of suicide attempts, deaths by suicide, and deaths by homicide-suicide also reported. Risk and protective factors varied across studies and there was little consideration of differences by caregiving relationship, type of illness/disability, or country. There is sufficient evidence to warrant concern for caregivers around the world and prompt action in policy and practice, but more rigorous research is required to draw clear, nuanced conclusions about risk and inform evidence-based prevention and intervention.",

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AB - An emerging body of international research suggests family caregivers may be a high-risk group for suicide, but the evidence has not been synthesised. Forty-eight peer-reviewed journal articles were included in this review, spanning low-, middle-, and high-income countries and a variety of illnesses and disabilities. The proportion of caregivers experiencing suicidal ideation ranged from 2.7% to 71%, with evidence of suicide attempts, deaths by suicide, and deaths by homicide-suicide also reported. Risk and protective factors varied across studies and there was little consideration of differences by caregiving relationship, type of illness/disability, or country. There is sufficient evidence to warrant concern for caregivers around the world and prompt action in policy and practice, but more rigorous research is required to draw clear, nuanced conclusions about risk and inform evidence-based prevention and intervention.

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Suicidality in family caregivers of people with long-term illnesses and disabilities: a scoping review

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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