Prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of China: A meta-analysis

Objective The objective of this meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of Mainland China. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted via the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, China Journals Full-T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of psychiatry in medicine 2015-05, Vol.49 (4), p.296-308
Main Authors: Cao, Xiao-Lan, Zhong, Bao-Liang, Xiang, Yu-Tao, Ungvari, Gabor S, Lai, Kelly YC, Chiu, Helen FK, Caine, Eric D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attitudes
Behavior
China - epidemiology
Female
Gender
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data
Suicides & suicide attempts
Systematic review
Young Adult
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Summary:Objective The objective of this meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of Mainland China. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted via the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, China Journals Full-Text Databases, Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Wan Fang Data. Statistical analysis used the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program. Results Eight studies met the inclusion criteria for the analysis; five reported on the prevalence of suicidal ideation and seven on that of suicide attempts. The estimated lifetime prevalence figures of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were 3.9% (95% confidence interval: 2.5%–6.0%) and 0.8% (95% confidence interval: 0.7%–0.9%), respectively. The estimated female–male ratio for lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was 1.7 and 2.2, respectively. Only the difference of suicide attempts between the two genders was statistically significant. Conclusion This was the first meta-analysis of the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of Mainland China. The pooled lifetime prevalence of both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts are relatively low; however, caution is required when assessing these self-report data. Women had a modestly higher prevalence for suicide attempts than men. The frequency for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in urban regions was similar to those in rural areas.
ISSN:0091-2174
1541-3527
DOI:10.1177/0091217415589306