Prevalence of Suicidal Behaviors in Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundLong-term care facilities (LTC) plays a pivotal role in caring for geriatric population. However, the risk of suicide in long-term care institutions among older individuals is little understood (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living facilities).ObjectiveThe purpose of this systematic review is to pool and meta-analyze the data on prevalence of suicidal behaviors in geriatric population residing in long-term care facilities.MethodsWe have conducted the systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The utilized databases are Pubmed, Medline, Google scholar and Scopus. The Meta-analysis was done using OpenMeta [analyst] software. Subgroup analysis was also performed.ResultsAfter running an analysis on pooled data from twenty cross-sectional studies with 3,023,224 participants, the prevalence of suicidal behavior is 6.4% (95% CI = 5.7–7) in LTC.ConclusionThis meta-analysis shows pooled prevalence of suicidal behavior among geriatric residents of LTC was found to be moderately high all over the world.