Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36636817›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2023

Association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and self-harm: Danish nationwide register-based cohort study.

Annette Erlangsen, Ping Qin, Trine Madsen, Keith Hawton, Merete Osler, Carsten Hjorthøj, Michael E Benros, Steen Ethelberg, Kåre Mølbak, Thomas Munk Laursen and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. 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

12 authors.

Annette ErlangsenDanish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Center of Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3475-0558
Ping QinNational Center for Suicide Research and Prevention, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-6741-6228
Trine MadsenDanish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-4918-5862
Keith HawtonCentre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4985-5715
Merete OslerCenter for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg & Frederiksberg Hospitals, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-6921-220X
Carsten HjorthøjCopenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark; and Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-6943-4785
Michael E BenrosCopenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0003-4939-9465
Steen EthelbergInfectious Disease Epidemiology & Prevention, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Global Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-9709-356X
Kåre MølbakEpidemiological Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thomas Munk LaursenNational Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0001-6934-1784
Merete NordentoftDanish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sandra Feodor NilssonCopenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-7598-5014

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCase studies have linked SARS-CoV-2 infection to suicidal behaviour. However, conclusive evidence is lacking.

aimsTo examine whether a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection or SARS-CoV-2-related hospital admission was associated with self-harm in the general population and in high-risk groups.

methodA cohort design was applied to nationwide data on all people aged ≥15 years and living in Denmark between 27 February 2020 and 15 October 2021. Exposure was identified as having had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, and further assessed as SARS-CoV-2-related hospital admission. Rates of probable self-harm were examined using adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs). The following subgroups were identified: (a) lower educational level, (b) chronic medical conditions, (c) disability pension, (d) mental disorders, (e) substance use disorders, and history of (f) homelessness and (g) imprisonment.

resultsAmong 4 412 248 included individuals, 260 663 (5.9%) had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Out of 5453 individuals presenting with self-harm, 131 (2.4%) had been infected. Individuals with a history of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result had an aIRR for self-harm of 0.86 (95% CI 0.72-1.03) compared with those without. High rates were found after a SARS-CoV-2-related hospital admission (aIRR = 7.68; 95% CI 5.61-10.51) or a non-SARS-CoV-2-related admission (aIRR = 10.27; 95% CI 9.65-10.93) versus non-infected and not admitted. In sensitivity analyses with a more restrictive definition of self-harm, a positive PCR test was associated with lower rates of self-harm.

conclusionsIndividuals with a PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection did not have higher rates of self-harm than those without. Hospital admission in general, rather than being SARS-CoV-2 positive. seemed to be linked to elevated rates of self-harm.

Indexed as

COVID-19Self-Injurious BehaviorCohort StudiesDenmarkHumansSARS-CoV-2COVID-19epidemiologySARS-CoV-2self-harmSuicide attempt

Identifiers

PMID36636817
PMCPMC10895503

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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.