Suicide ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt among left‐behind children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objective There are an increasing number of studies that discussed suicide ideation (SI), suicide plan (SP), and suicide attempt (SA) among left‐behind children (LBC). However, the prevalence of these indicators of LBC has not been synthesized and the true correlation between these indicators and left‐behind status remains unclear. Methods Electronic databases were comprehensively searched, and eligible observational studies were selected to extract useful data. We pooled the rates and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the prevalence of SI, SP, and SA among LBC. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated to reflect the association between left‐behind status and risk of SI, SP, and SA. Results Among LBC, the pooled prevalence was 18.7% (95% CI: 15.4–21.9) for SI, 6.4% (95% CI: 4.7–8.1) for SP, and 3.1% (95% CI: 2.6–3.6) for SA. Compared to non‐LBC, LBC was at higher risk of SI (OR = 1.26), SP (OR = 1.20), and SA (OR = 1.14), but only the effect for SI achieved statistical significance. Conclusion Overall, the prevalence of SI, SP, and SA is common among LBC, and parental migration has a significant impact on the SI of LBC. Intervention plans and programs are urgently needed to prevent suicidality of this vulnerable group.

Mediation of Internet addiction on association between childhood maltreatment and suicidal behaviours among Chinese adolescents

“…For adolescents aged 15–29 years, suicide is the second cause of death (WHO, 2020 ). Indeed, the rates of young people losing their lives to suicide have grown in recent years, especially in developing countries (Qu et al ., 2021 ). Therefore, it is great importance to pay more attention to suicidal behaviours among adolescents (Shen et al ., 2020 ).…”

“…It is widely accepted that suicidal behaviours were a continuum of development from mild to severe, most often including the following stages: suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP), suicidal attempts (SA) and suicide death (Sveticic and De Leo, 2012 ; Qu et al ., 2021 ). SI concerns thoughts about ending one's own life (suicidal thoughts).…”

“…Multiple factors have been examined to be associated with suicidal behaviours, including genetic, psychological and social factors (Liu et al ., 2019 ; Ati et al ., 2021 ; Qu et al ., 2021 ). Previous studies have documented that childhood maltreatment (CM) is a significant risk factor for suicidal behaviours (Miller et al ., 2013 ; Behr Gomes Jardim et al ., 2018 ; Angelakis et al ., 2019 , 2020 ).…”

Correlates of suicidal ideation in rural Chinese junior high school left-behind children: A socioecological resilience framework

“…Regardless of whether self-harm is with or without suicidal ideation, self-harm may escalate into suicidal behaviors when it becomes insufficient as a coping strategy against trauma or stress (10), and individuals who self-harm may perceive a suicide attempt to be less frightening upon desensitization to pain (11). A recently published meta-analysis exploring prevalence of suicidal behaviors among LBC, found the prevalence of suicidal ideation was 18.7, 6.4% for suicide plan, and 3.1% for suicide attempt (12). LBC had 26% greater risk of having suicidal ideation than NLBC, and this was statistically significant (12).…”

Relationship Between Childhood Left-Behind Experience and Quality of Life Among Chinese University Freshmen: Place of Origin Matters

“…Early separation from parents, from either one or both parents, has a profound and long-lasting negative impact on both the physical and mental health of children. Accumulating evidence has shown a higher risk of wasting, stunning, slow physical development, poor nutritional status, obesity, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, substance use, and poor health-related quality of life (QOL) among leftbehind children than among children from intact families (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Importantly, the negative mental health effect of childhood left-behind experience (LBE) does not diminish over time but persists to late adolescence and young adulthood; for example, compared to University students without childhood LBE, those with LBE are at a significantly higher risk for developing depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, low selfesteem, suicidal and self-harm behaviors, and other mental health problems (11)(12)(13)(14)(15).…”