Abstract
Family caregivers of people with dementia have higher than average rates of suicidal ideation, but there has been no research on homicidal ideation in this population. The aim of this study was to explore thoughts of homicide in family caregivers of people with dementia. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted in Australia with people who were currently, or had previously been, caring for a family member with dementia. Transcripts were analysed thematically and seven themes were identified: active thoughts of homicide; understanding homicidal thoughts in others; passive thoughts of death; euthanasia; homicidal thoughts in other caregiving situations; abuse; and disclosing thoughts of harm. Two of the 21 caregivers had actively contemplated killing the person with dementia, four expressed a passive desire for the death of the person with dementia, and four reported physically or verbally abusing the person with dementia. Only one caregiver had previously disclosed these thoughts, but disclosing helped to normalise the experience and facilitated access to support. Caregivers who had not contemplated homicide said they understood why others had. This is the first study of homicidal ideation among family caregivers of people with dementia and the findings have immediate implications for health professionals and service providers. More research is required to determine the prevalence of homicidal ideation in the caregiving population and understand the relationship between thoughts of homicide and a preference for euthanasia. After this session, participants will be able to explain why some caregivers contemplate homicide and identify directions for research and clinical practice.