Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33407984›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2021

Meta-analysis of the strength of exploratory suicide prediction models; from clinicians to computers.

Michelle Corke, Katherine Mullin, Helena Angel-Scott, Shelley Xia, Matthew Large

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJPsych open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 7 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

33 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  16. A biological phenotype of suicide attempt in adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury: a machine-based learning approach.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review: Suicide and its relationship to aggression and impulsivity.Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience · 2025
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  19. The Etiopathogenic Mosaic of Suicidal Behaviour.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  20. Article
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.

Michelle CorkeSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia.
Katherine MullinSouth Eastern Sydney Local Health District and School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Australia.
Helena Angel-ScottSouth Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Australia.
Shelley XiaSouth Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Australia.
Matthew LargeSouth Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Australia; and School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0194-7426

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuicide prediction models have been formulated in a variety of ways and are heterogeneous in the strength of their predictions. Machine learning has been a proposed as a way of improving suicide predictions by incorporating more suicide risk factors.

aimsTo determine whether machine learning and the number of suicide risk factors included in suicide prediction models are associated with the strength of the resulting predictions.

methodRandom-effect meta-analysis of exploratory suicide prediction models constructed by combining two or more suicide risk factors or using clinical judgement (Prospero Registration CRD42017059665). Studies were located by searching for papers indexed in PubMed before 15 August 2020 with the term suicid* in the title.

resultsIn total, 86 papers reported 102 suicide prediction models and included 20 210 411 people and 106 902 suicides. The pooled odds ratio was 7.7 (95% CI 6.7-8.8) with high between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 99.5). Machine learning was associated with a non-significantly higher odds ratio of 11.6 (95% CI 6.0-22.3) and clinical judgement with a non-significantly lower odds ratio of 4.7 (95% CI 2.1-10.9). Models including a larger number of suicide risk factors had a higher odds ratio when machine-learning studies were included (P = 0.02). Among non-machine-learning studies, suicide prediction models including fewer risk factors performed just as well as those including more risk factors.

conclusionsMachine learning might have the potential to improve the performance of suicide prediction models by increasing the number of included suicide risk factors but its superiority over other methods is unproven.

Indexed as

risk assessmentself-harmSuicidesuicide attempt

Identifiers

PMID33407984
PMCPMC8058929

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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.