Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33926603›Full record

ArticleBJPsych open2021

Investigating prolonged social withdrawal behaviour as a risk factor for self-harm and suicidal behaviours.

Shimin Zhu, Paul H Lee, Paul W C Wong

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 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Social Anxiety and Suicidality in Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Research on child and adolescent psychopathology · 2023
    Pooled it
  2. Failure to Launch (FTL): A Narrative Review and Call for Research.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2026
    Review
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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

3 authors.

Shimin ZhuDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Paul H LeeDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5729-6450
Paul W C WongDepartment of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3388-6285

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSelf-harm and suicidal behaviour are recognised as public health concerns. Prolonged social withdrawal behaviour, or hikikomori, is reported as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour.

aimsTo examine the occurrence and additional risk of prolonged social withdrawal behaviour on self-harm and suicidal behaviour among Chinese university students.

methodA cross-sectional online survey was conducted with three universities in southern China. A two-stage random sampling was adopted for recruitment, with students in different years of study, in different departments of each participating university. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the sociodemographic and psychological correlates of self-harm and suicidal behaviours among male and female participants with hikikomori status.

resultsOf the students who completed the online survey, 1735 (72.23%) were included in the analysis; 11.5% (n = 200) reported self-harm behaviour and 11.8% (n = 204) reported suicidal behaviours in the past 12 months. Men showed a higher prevalence rate of self-harm than women (14.7% v. 10.8%, P = 0.048), but a similar rate of suicidal behaviours (11.9% v. 11.3%, P = 0.78). The overall prevalence rate of social withdrawal behaviour was 3.2% (7.0% for men and 2.3% for women, P < 0.001). Prolonged social withdrawal behaviour status was significantly associated with self-harm (odds ratio 2.00, 95% CI 1.22-3.29) and suicidal behaviour (odds ratio 2.35, 95% CI 1.45-3.81). However, the associations became statistically insignificant after adjustment for psychological factors in the final models in the logistic regression analyses.

conclusionsProlonged social withdrawal behaviour appears to be associated with self-harm and suicidal behaviour, but psychological factors have stronger links with suicidality.

Indexed as

Chinahikikomoriprolonged social withdrawal behaviourSelf-harmsuicidal behaviour

Identifiers

PMID33926603
PMCPMC8142544

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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.