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Meta-Analysis Finds ‘Concerning Frequency’ of Self-Injurious Thoughts, Behaviors in Children
The lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts among preadolescent children is a concerning 15.1%, researchers reported in a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry.
“Considerably less is known about self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in preadolescence than older age groups, owing partly to the common view that young children are incapable of suicidal thoughts,” wrote first author Richard T. Liu, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and coauthors. “Yet, preadolescent suicide has increased in recent years and is now the fifth leading cause of death in this age group, leading the National Institute of Mental Health to identify it as a priority for research and intervention.”
To investigate the estimated prevalence and correlates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in preadolescents, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 58 studies spanning 626 million people.
In addition to identifying a 15.1% lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation in preadolescents, the study revealed a 6.2% lifetime prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury and a 2.6% lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts in community samples.
“These data suggest,” researchers wrote, “that approximately 17.0% of preadolescents with suicidal ideation transition to attempting suicide.”
Male individuals were more likely to have self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in preadolescence than in adolescence, the study found. Additionally, child maltreatment, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression were linked with increased risk. Parental support, however, appeared to protect against suicidal thoughts.
The lifetime prevalence of suicide was 0.79 per 1 million children in the general population.
“In this systematic review and meta-analysis, although preadolescent suicide deaths were rare, other self-injurious thoughts and behavior types occur with concerning frequency,” researchers wrote. “Further study, especially of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors other than suicidal ideation, is needed.”
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