Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33648980›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2021

Is being a 'left-behind' child associated with an increased risk of self-poisoning in adulthood? Findings from a case-control study in Sri Lanka.

Duleeka Knipe, Paul Moran, Laura D Howe, Piumee Bandara, Kolitha Wickramage, David Gunnell, Thilini Rajapakse

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 48% of its field
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. 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

7 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Duleeka KnipePopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK dee.knipe@bristol.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-1040-7635
Paul MoranPopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Laura D HowePopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Piumee BandaraTranslational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9003-8648
Kolitha WickramageInternational Organization for Migration, Geneve, Switzerland.
David GunnellPopulation Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Thilini RajapakseSouth Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.ORCID 0000-0001-9732-4666
University of Bristol · GBUniversity of Peradeniya · LKInternational Organization for Migration · CHTranslational Research Institute · AUUniversity Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_MR/R019622/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_00011/7Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust ISSF3 : 204813/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe long-term consequences of parental emigration on offspring self-harm risk is unknown.

methodsWe investigated the association between experiencing parental emigration in childhood with hospital presentations for self-poisoning in adulthood using a hospital case-control study. Cases were adult self-poisoning patients (≥18 year olds) admitted to the medical toxicology ward Teaching Hospital Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Sex and age frequency matched controls were recruited from the outpatient department or nearby specialist clinics at the same hospital. Details of parental emigration were collected using a pre-piloted questionnaire. The relationship between parental emigration and self-poisoning in adulthood was estimated using logistic regression models.

results298 cases, and 500 hospital controls were interviewed for the study. We estimate that one in five adults experienced parental emmigration as children (95% CI 17% to 24%). We find limited evidence that children from households with emigrating parents were more likely to experience adverse childhood experiences than those with non-emigrating parents. We found no statistical evidence of an increased risk of self-poisoning in adulthood in individuals who experienced parental emigration (maternal or paternal) during childhood. There was no statistical evidence that the impact differed by the sex of the participant.

conclusionAdults who experienced parental emigration as children were no more likely to self-poison than adults with non-emigrating parents. Further research using longitudinal data are needed to understand whether any adverse outcomes observed in 'left-behind' children are a consequence of parental emigration or due to factors associated but predate the emigration. Prospective data are also important to investigate whether there are any lasting effects on children who experience parental emigration.

Indexed as

Self-Injurious BehaviorAdultCase-Control StudiesChildHospitalizationHumansProspective StudiesSri Lankachild healthepidemiologymental health & psychiatrypoisoningsuicide

Identifiers

PMID33648980
PMCPMC7925243
OpenAlexW3134316874

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.