Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31103905›Full record

SynthesisJournal of affective disorders2019

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between alexithymia and suicide ideation and behaviour.

Laura Hemming, Peter Taylor, Gillian Haddock, Jennifer Shaw, Daniel Pratt

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of affective disorders, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  5. Determinants of Suicidality in the European General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
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  15. Self-harming behavior linked to earlier onset of cardiovascular disease in severe mental disorders.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Laura HemmingDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK. Electronic address: laura.hemming@manchester.ac.uk.
Peter TaylorDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK.
Gillian HaddockDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Jennifer ShawDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
Daniel PrattDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, UK; Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK; Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlexithymia reflects a difficulty with identifying and expressing emotions. This experience has been proposed as having an association with suicide ideation and behaviour. This review aimed to synthesise the evidence to establish the bivariate and multivariate relationships between alexithymia, and its subcomponents, with suicide ideation and behaviour.

methodsSearch terms related to alexithymia and suicide ideation and behaviour were searched across nine prominent databases in May 2018. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported original empirical quantitative findings from adult samples, used a validated measure of alexithymia, and any measure of suicide ideation or behaviour.

resultsThirty-four studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. The review found a large effect size for the relationship between alexithymia and suicide ideation (r = 0.54, 95% CI= 0.40-0.65) and a small effect size for the relationship between alexithymia and suicide behaviour (r = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.16-0.34). LIMITATIONS: A high level of heterogeneity was found in the meta-analysis meaning that results should be interpreted with caution.

conclusionA positive association was found between alexithymia and suicide ideation and, to a lesser extent, behaviour across a range of clinical and general population samples. This review has potentially important clinical implications, and promotes the need for suicide prevention to focus on emotion regulation skills.

Indexed as

Suicidal IdeationAdultAffective SymptomsFemaleHumansMaleAlexithymiaDepressionMeta-analysisSuicide

Identifiers

PMID31103905
PMCPMC6599888

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.