Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41922971›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2026

Suicide myths and preparedness to help among staff at home care and long-term care facilities in Sweden: a quantitative questionnaire-based study.

Sabrina Doering, Elias Asteberg, TuvaLisa Berglund, Sara Blom, Stefan Wiktorsson, Sylvie Lapierre, Lena Johansson, Katarina Wilhelmson, Anne Ingeborg Berg, Margda Waern

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Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sabrina DoeringDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Elias AstebergDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
TuvaLisa BerglundDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Sara BlomDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Stefan WiktorssonDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Sylvie LapierreDepartment of Psychology, University of Quebec in Trois-Rivieres, Trois- Rivieres, Canada.
Lena JohanssonDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Katarina WilhelmsonDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden.
Anne Ingeborg BergDepartment of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Margda WaernDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, SU/Sahlgrenska, Gothenburg, 413 45, Sweden. margda.waern@neuro.gu.se.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuicide rates are highest among adults aged 65 and older. Given that many older adults receive home care (HC) or reside in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), staff in these settings play a crucial role in suicide prevention. This study assessed the prevalence of suicide myth endorsement by HC and LTCF staff and examined the relationship between such myths and preparedness to help in a suicidal crisis.

methodsA total of 735 HC and LTCF staff in Västra Götaland County, Sweden, completed an anonymous questionnaire that included the Attitudes Toward Suicide Questionnaire. Data were collected between November 2023 and September 2025. Preparedness to help was defined as “I am prepared to help a person in a suicidal crisis by making contact and talking with him/her”. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between suicide myth endorsement and preparedness to help.

resultsAbout one-third of participants endorsed myths such as suicide attempts are impulsive, threats are rarely acted upon, and suicide occurs without warning. Although participants’ answers showed that they were unsure about several myths, four in five felt prepared to help someone in a suicidal crisis. Greater myth endorsement was significantly associated with two-fold lower odds of being prepared to help, even after adjusting for demographic factors and professional background.

conclusionsSuicide myths are not uncommon among HC and LTCF staff and are linked to lower self-reported preparedness to help in suicidal crises. With one in five staff members feeling unprepared, our findings highlight the need for targeted staff training in suicide prevention within care settings for older adults.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelHome Care ServicesLong-Term CareSuicideSuicide PreventionAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenAgeismHome careLong-term care facilitiesMental disordersOlder adultsSuicideSuicide myths

Identifiers

PMID41922971
PMCPMC13064347

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.