Suicidal ideation in family carers of people with dementia

Abstract

Objective: Two small studies have suggested that family carers of people with dementia may be a high-risk group for suicide. The objective of this study was to further explore the rate of suicidal ideation in a large sample of carers and identify psychosocial risk and protective factors.

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 566 family carers. The survey included measures of suicidality, self-efficacy, physical health, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, optimism, burden, coping strategies, and social support.

Results: Sixteen percent of carers had contemplated suicide more than once in the previous year. There were univariate differences between suicidal and non-suicidal carers on self-efficacy, social support, coping, burden, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, optimism, reasons for living, and symptoms of dementia, as well as age and income management. In a multivariate model, age, depression, and reasons for living predicted suicidal ideation. In tests for mediation, satisfaction with social support and dysfunctional coping had indirect effects on suicidal ideation via depression.

Conclusion: Family carers of people with dementia have high rates of suicidal ideation, with depression a risk factor and increasing age and reasons for living as protective factors. Depression and reasons for living should be targeted in interventions to reduce suicide risk in dementia carers.

Keywords:

• suicide
• dementia
• caregivers
• mental health

Acknowledgements

Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer was supported by a Fellowship from the Dementia Collaborative Research Centres when this study was conducted. The authors wish to thank the carers who gave up their time to complete the survey; the community organizations, advocacy services, and individuals who assisted with recruitment; Sarah Walbank (Carers Queensland) and the Consumer Advisory Panel for their assistance in the development of the survey instrument; Rod Lea and Nathaniel Herr for early statistical advice; and Andrew Hayes for advice on the use of the PROCESS macro.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no financial interests or benefits arising from the application of this research.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2015.1063109

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a Griffith University New Researcher Grant.