Depression and suicidal behavior in South Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Estimates of depression in suicidal behavior in South Asia would help to formulate suicide prevention strategies in the region that hasn't been assessed yet. We aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of depression in fatal and non-fatal attempts of suicide in eight South Asian countries....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global mental health 2022, Vol.9, p.181-192
Main Authors: Arafat, S M Yasir, Saleem, Tamkeen, Menon, Vikas, Ali, Syeda Ayat-e-Zainab, Baminiwatta, Anuradha, Kar, Sujita Kumar, Akter, Hasina, Singh, Rakesh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Depression
Etiology
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Meta-analysis
non-fatal attempt
Population
Review
Sample size
self-harm
South Asia
Suicidal behavior
suicide
Suicides & suicide attempts
Systematic review
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Summary:Estimates of depression in suicidal behavior in South Asia would help to formulate suicide prevention strategies in the region that hasn't been assessed yet. We aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of depression in fatal and non-fatal attempts of suicide in eight South Asian countries. We searched Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO by specific search terms to identify articles assessing depression in fatal and non-fatal attempts of suicide in South Asian countries published between 2001 and 2020. Two separate meta-analyses were conducted for fatal and non-fatal attempts. Due to the high heterogeneity of studies (96-98%), random-effects models were used to calculate pooled prevalence rates. A total of 38 studies was identified from five south Asian countries (India [27], Pakistan [6], Sri Lanka [3], Nepal [1], and Bangladesh [1]). The majority of studies ( = 27) were published after 2010. Twenty-two studies reported non-fatal attempts, and sixteen reported suicide. The prevalence of depression among non-fatal attempts ranged from 14% to 78% where the pooled prevalence rate was 32.7% [95% CI 26-39.3%]. The prevalence of depression among suicides ranged from 8% to 79% where the pooled prevalence estimate was 37.3% [95% CI 26.9-47.6%]. This review revealed the pooled prevalence of depression among fatal and non-fatal suicidal attempts in South Asian countries, which seems to be lower when comparedto the Western countries. However, a cautious interpretation is warranted due to the heterogeneity of study methods, sample size, and measurement of depression.
ISSN:2054-4251
2054-4251
DOI:10.1017/gmh.2022.20