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

Suicide 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. A 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. About 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. Suicide 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.