SynthesisClinical psychology review2023
Mental imagery of suicide and non-suicidal self-injury: A meta-analysis and systematic review.
Synthesis in Clinical psychology review, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- A bibliometric analysis and visualization of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Mental Imagery of the Self in Body Dysmorphic Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.Clinical psychology & psychotherapyPooled it
- Early Evaluation of IMAGINATOR 2.0 Intervention Targeting Self-Harm in Young People: Single-Arm Feasibility Trial.JMIR formative research · 2026Trial
- Using Automated Coding of Nonverbal Behavior During a Suicide Assessment to Inform Risk Detection: Mixed Cross-Sectional and Exploratory Prospective Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- First-Hand Accounts of Suicidal Mental Imagery: A Taxonomy of Imagery Types.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Emotional Responses to Social Media and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescents.Suicide & life-threatening behavior · 2026Article
- Associations of Physical Activity and Psychological Resilience with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: A Combined Variable- and Person-Centered Approach.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Predictive utility and associated challenges of adolescent arm scarring in suicide risk assessment.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Psychological risk profiles are associated with severity and motivational-volitional mechanisms of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents and young adults.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Development of a tool for assessing awareness of consequences of suicide.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Neurobiological mechanisms and treatment of empathic pain in nonsuicidal self-injury.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- Self-harm-related mental imagery: A content analysis study of imagery reported by young people referred to mental health services.JCPP advances · 2025Article
- Aesthetic experiences across visual perception and mental imagery: Behaviorally indistinguishable, neurally distinct.iScience · 2025Article
- May I, Will I and Why. A Shared Lifeworld in a Suicidal Trajectory-Told by Suicide Loss Survivors.International journal of mental health nursing · 2025Article
- Suicide Ideation Severity and Oculomotor Avoidance of Suicide-Related Stimuli.Suicide & life-threatening behavior · 2025Article
- Intrinsic Links Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Sleep Quality and Cytokines: A Network Analysis Based on Chinese Adolescents with Depressive Disorders.Psychology research and behavior management · 2025Article
- Practitioner Review: Treatments for young people who self-harm - challenges and recommendations for research and clinical practice.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025Review
- A Study of Spontaneous Self-Injurious Behavior and Neuroimaging in Rhesus Macaques.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Article
- Association between overactive bladder and suicidal ideation in US adults: a population-based study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- The challenge of learning adaptive mental behavior.Journal of psychopathology and clinical science · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe vast majority of research on, and clinical assessment of, cognitions related to suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has focused on verbal thoughts. And yet, mental imagery is more realistic and emotionally arousing than verbal thoughts.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis documenting the prevalence of suicidal and NSSI mental imagery and describing the content and characteristics of suicidal and NSSI mental imagery, links between suicidal and NSSI mental imagery and suicidal and NSSI behavior, and how to intervene on suicidal and NSSI mental imagery. Studies published through December 17, 2022 were identified through a systematic search of MEDLINE and PsycINFO.
resultsTwenty-three articles were included. Prevalence rates of suicidal (73.56%) and NSSI (84.33%) mental imagery were high among clinical samples. Self-harm mental imagery commonly depicts engagement in self-harm behavior and is experienced as vivid, realistic, and preoccupying. When experimentally induced, self-harm mental imagery reduces physiological and affective arousal. Preliminary evidence suggests that suicidal mental imagery is associated with suicidal behavior.
conclusionsSuicidal and NSSI mental imagery are highly prevalent and may be associated with heightened risk for self-harm behavior. Assessments and interventions for self-harm should consider incorporating and addressing suicidal and NSSI mental imagery to mitigate risk.
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Registered trials
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.