Zheng Q, Chen XC, Deng YJ, Ji YJ, Liu Q, Zhang CY, Zhang TT, Li LJ. Non-suicidal self-injury risk among left-behind children and adolescents in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(2): 101595 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.101595]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ling-Jiang Li, MD, Professor, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China. llj2920@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Meta-Analysis
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2025; 15(2): 101595 Published online Feb 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.101595
Non-suicidal self-injury risk among left-behind children and adolescents in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Qi Zheng, Xin-Chao Chen, Ying-Jian Deng, Ya-Juan Ji, Qi Liu, Chen-Yun Zhang, Tian-Tian Zhang, Ling-Jiang Li
Qi Zheng, Ya-Juan Ji, Qi Liu, Chen-Yun Zhang, Tian-Tian Zhang, Department of Psychiatry, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Xiamen 361012, Fujian Province, China
Xin-Chao Chen, Department of Psychology, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xianyue Hospital Affiliated with Xiamen Medical College, Fujian Psychiatric Center, Fujian Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Xiamen 361012, Fujian Province, China
Ying-Jian Deng, Department of Cardiology, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, Fujian Province, China
Ling-Jiang Li, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China
Co-first authors: Qi Zheng and Xin-Chao Chen.
Author contributions: Zheng Q and Chen XC wrote the original draft, they contributed equally as co-first authors; Zheng Q and Deng YJ designed the research study; Deng YJ, Zheng Q, Ji YJ, and Liu Q collected and interpreted data; Deng YJ, Zhang CY, and Zhang TT analyzed data; Li LJ reviewed and edited the manuscript; and all authors have read and agreed with the final manuscript for submission.
Supported by the Fujian Provincial Health and Family Planning Youth Scientific Research Project, No. 2022QNB029.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ling-Jiang Li, MD, Professor, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Middle Road, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China. llj2920@163.com
Received: September 20, 2024 Revised: November 23, 2024 Accepted: December 23, 2024 Published online: February 19, 2025 Processing time: 116 Days and 6.4 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence has shown an increased risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in left-behind children and adolescents (LBCAs). However, a systematic summary of studies comparing the risk of NSSI between LBCAs and non-LBCAs in China is lacking.
AIM
To investigate the risk of NSSI among LBCAs in China.
METHODS
We performed a systematic search of Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science from initiation to October 25, 2024, for all relevant studies of NSSI and LBCAs. The effect sizes were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to further confirm the stability of the findings.
RESULTS
A total of 10 studies with 165276 children and adolescents were included in this study. LBCAs had significantly higher rates of NSSI compared with non-LBCAs (OR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.19-1.49), with high heterogeneity observed (I2 = 77%, P < 0.001). Further sensitivity analyses were consistent with the primary analysis (OR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.21-1.39, I2 = 0%).
CONCLUSION
LBCAs are found to be at an increased risk of NSSI compared with children and adolescents of non-migrants. More attention and intervention are urgently needed for LBCAs, especially those living in developing countries.
Core Tip: This study highlights the elevated risk of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among left-behind children and adolescents (LBCAs) compared to their peers from non-migrant families. Using a meta-analysis of 165276 participants, we found a significant association between LBCAs and NSSI, with odds ratios indicating a 32% higher risk. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions, particularly in developing countries, to support the mental health of LBCAs and reduce NSSI risk.
