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. 2024 Mar 14;24(1):254.
doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-04753-4.

Similarities and differences in the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal behavior between caregivers and people with dementia: a systematic review

Mohd Afifuddin Mohamad  1 , Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah  2 , Nurul Izzah Shari  3
Affiliations

Similarities and differences in the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal behavior between caregivers and people with dementia: a systematic review

Mohd Afifuddin Mohamad et al. BMC Geriatr. .

Abstract

Background: People with dementia and their caregivers are prone to suicidal behaviors due to difficulty adjusting to their initial caregiving role and due to emotional disturbances resulting from deterioration of functioning. The present systematic review (1) explored the prevalence of and risk factors for suicidal behavior and (2) assessed the similarities and differences in the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal behavior between people with dementia and their caregivers.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search for research articles published between 1950 and 2023 was carried out using major databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Medline.

Results: A total of 40 research articles were selected for review. A total of 12 research articles revealed that the prevalence of suicidal behavior among caregivers ranged from 4.7% to 26%. However, the risk of suicidal behavior among people with dementia was inconsistent, as only 17 out of 28 selected studies reported the risk of suicidal behavior among people with dementia. The risk factors associated with suicidal behavior among caregivers of people with dementia could be both self-related and care receiver-related factors, whereas risk factors in people with dementia were self-related factors. Notably, greater cognitive decline, which impairs individuals' ability to carry out complex acts and planning, may lower their suicidal risk. Finally, assessment of the risk of bias indicated that 95% of the selected studies had unclear risk.

Conclusion: Self-related and care receiver-related factors should be assessed among caregivers of people with dementia to evaluate the risk of suicidal behavior. In addition, we recommend evaluating suicidal risk in people with dementia in the early phase of dementia when cognitive decline is less severe. However, as the majority of the selected studies had unclear risk of bias, future studies with improved methodologies are warranted to confirm our study findings.

Keywords: Caregivers of people with dementia; People with dementia; Suicidal behavior; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flowchart summarizing the selection of research articles for this systematic review
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk of bias assessment of the selected studies using the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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