Experiences and needs of adult carers of adults at risk of suicide
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences and Support Needs of Adult Carers of Adults at Risk of Suicide: A Mixed Methods Doctoral Research Study
IRAS ID
279698
Contact name
Karen Lascelles
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Brookes University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
The stress of caring for people with mental health problems, including suicide risk, can lead to mental ill health of carers. Stigma associated with the condition of the person receiving care can contribute to the stress experienced by carers, and stigma can be increased where suicidality is present. In addition carers may experience a sense of fear or anticipation of a suicide attempt.
Whilst it is known that carers often feel unsupported in their caring role, there is less clarity about what their support needs actually are and what would help to meet these needs. This research seeks to gain an understanding of the caring experience, including support received and perspectives on support required, by adult carers of adults who may at risk of suicide. An additional aim is to elicit if these carers perceive stigma of suicide attempts, and whether associations exist between perceived stigma, the caring experience and experiences of support received.
A mixed methods approach will be used in this research, involving an online survey and interviews.
The survey includes questionnaires to measure perceived stigma of suicide attempts and the impact of caring, and additional questions about the experience of caring, support received and required, and perspectives on the future as a carer. The survey will be distributed via local organisations involved in suicide prevention and carer support, and more widely by internet and social media.
Audio recorded telephone, video or online messaging interviews with a subset of survey respondents will involve more in depth questioning about the same phenomena covered by the survey.
Survey and interview data will be analysed to describe characteristics of participants, associations between stigma and the caring experience, and significant themes from interview narratives.
A research report will be prepared to present findings and practice implications and make recommendations for future research.REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0183
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion