Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/22370
Title: Suicide amongst people with intellectual disability: An Australian online study of disability support staff experiences and perceptions
Contributor(s): Wark, Stuart  (author)orcid ; Mckay, Kathy  (author); Ryan, Peta  (author)orcid ; Muller, Anna (author)
Publication Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1111/jir.12442
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/22370
Abstract: Background Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) have a higher likelihood of exposure to identified risk factors for suicide when compared with the general community and have been recognised as being both capable of forming intent for suicide and acting on this intent. However, in spite of research outlining these concerns from the 1970s, there remains a dearth of studies that examine suicide amongst the population of people with ID. Method An online cross-sectional survey was purposively developed, with questions aimed at identifying both the experiences and current practices of support staff who assist people with ID in relation to suicide, suicidal behaviour and suicide assessment. It was undertaken across both rural and metropolitan areas in Australia. The survey was open for a period of 12 months. A total of 139 respondents (109 female/30 male), with a mean age of 41 and an average 12 years of experience in supporting people with ID, completed the tool. Results A total of nine suicides by people with ID were reported. Seventy-seven per cent of the respondents reported that they had individuals with ID display suicidal behaviours, and 76% noted that a person had specifically talked about wishing to end their life. Only four participants (3%) noted that they did not support individuals with a dual diagnosis of ID and mental health concern. Sixty per cent of participants reported that no one in their organisation had ever completed a suicide risk assessment, and only 28% reported that they would do a suicide risk assessment if an individual that they supported was diagnosed with a mental health issue. Conclusions The current findings indicate that support staff recognise the capacity of people with ID to conceptualise suicide, note the existence of suicidal discussions and behaviours and report on actual suicides. This represents one of the few Australian studies that has specifically considered suicide amongst this cohort of people and reinforces the fact that suicide is not unknown in this population. The data indicate a possible divide between the reports of people with ID actively talking about and acting on suicidal thoughts and the lack of any proactive use of any tools to assess for this risk.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(1), p. 1-9
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
ISSN: 1365-2788
0964-2633
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 111703 Care for Disabled
111708 Health and Community Services
111714 Mental Health
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 420305 Health and community services
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 920209 Mental Health Services
920206 Health Inequalities
920403 Disability and Functional Capacity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 200305 Mental health services
200204 Health inequalities
200403 Disability and functional capacity
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Rural Medicine

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