The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study
Abstract Background Men have a significantly higher risk of dying by suicide than women and at the same time are less likely to make use of psychosocial support services. Therefore, informal caregivers who care for a person at risk play a significant role. This study aims to highlight the distress a...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21594-x |
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| author | Laura Hofmann Anna-Lena Springer Birgit Wagner |
| author_facet | Laura Hofmann Anna-Lena Springer Birgit Wagner |
| author_sort | Laura Hofmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Men have a significantly higher risk of dying by suicide than women and at the same time are less likely to make use of psychosocial support services. Therefore, informal caregivers who care for a person at risk play a significant role. This study aims to highlight the distress and support needs of informal caregivers for men in suicidal crises. Methods N = 15 participants who lost a man to suicide in the last 3–12 months were interviewed using psychological autopsy interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a comprehensive category system while following a deductive-inductive approach. Results The majority of participants reported experiencing significant stress as well as anxiety about leaving the affected men unsupervised. Only four participants indicated that they openly discussed their stress with their social environment, and just two sought professional support. Notably, only two caregivers anticipated the possibility of suicide. There was also little professional support for caregivers, resulting in participants using internet resources to inform themselves about suicidal ideation and behavior. Conclusion These findings highlight the significant stress and burden experienced by informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men. Lack of open communication and insufficient access to support exacerbate the emotional burden on caregivers. These results highlight the need for accessible resources and assistance to better support both caregivers and the individuals they care for. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00030758, Registered on 11.11.2022. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1069c9a0e8b04df99d54e6c343e1553d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-1069c9a0e8b04df99d54e6c343e1553d2025-02-02T12:46:33ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125111010.1186/s12889-025-21594-xThe role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy studyLaura Hofmann0Anna-Lena Springer1Birgit Wagner2Department of Clinical Psychology, Medical School BerlinDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Medical School BerlinDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Medical School BerlinAbstract Background Men have a significantly higher risk of dying by suicide than women and at the same time are less likely to make use of psychosocial support services. Therefore, informal caregivers who care for a person at risk play a significant role. This study aims to highlight the distress and support needs of informal caregivers for men in suicidal crises. Methods N = 15 participants who lost a man to suicide in the last 3–12 months were interviewed using psychological autopsy interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a comprehensive category system while following a deductive-inductive approach. Results The majority of participants reported experiencing significant stress as well as anxiety about leaving the affected men unsupervised. Only four participants indicated that they openly discussed their stress with their social environment, and just two sought professional support. Notably, only two caregivers anticipated the possibility of suicide. There was also little professional support for caregivers, resulting in participants using internet resources to inform themselves about suicidal ideation and behavior. Conclusion These findings highlight the significant stress and burden experienced by informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men. Lack of open communication and insufficient access to support exacerbate the emotional burden on caregivers. These results highlight the need for accessible resources and assistance to better support both caregivers and the individuals they care for. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00030758, Registered on 11.11.2022.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21594-xSuicide preventionMental healthGenderPsychological autopsyCaregiver burden |
| spellingShingle | Laura Hofmann Anna-Lena Springer Birgit Wagner The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study BMC Public Health Suicide prevention Mental health Gender Psychological autopsy Caregiver burden |
| title | The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| title_full | The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| title_fullStr | The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| title_short | The role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men– findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| title_sort | role of informal caregivers in suicide prevention for men findings from a psychological autopsy study |
| topic | Suicide prevention Mental health Gender Psychological autopsy Caregiver burden |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21594-x |
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