SynthesisBMC psychiatry2026
Prescribed benzodiazepines and suicidal behaviors: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and clinical implications.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prescribed benzodiazepines and suicidal behaviors: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and clinical implications.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBenzodiazepines are among the most prescribed psychotropic drugs worldwide, yet their potential association with suicide remains poorly understood and often overlooked, raising questions that current clinical practice and safety guidelines have yet to address. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively synthesize existing evidence on the association between prescribed benzodiazepine use and suicidal behaviors, explore potential mechanisms underlying this relationship, and identify gaps in the current literature.
methodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published in PubMed between 2016 and 2025, supplemented with earlier studies identified in a prior systematic review. Eligible studies examined the association between prescribed benzodiazepines and suicidal behaviors. Pooled estimates were calculated using a random-effects model to assess heterogeneity, and publication bias was evaluated using Egger’s regression test.
resultsTwenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Benzodiazepine use was associated with a significantly elevated risk of suicide (pooled effect size = 2.74; 95% CI: 2.06–3.63).
conclusionsPrescribed benzodiazepines are associated with a more than twofold higher likelihood of suicide outcomes (attempted or completed), representing a public health concern that warrants further investigation. This consistent association underscores the need to investigate underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms, refine and standardize prescribing guidelines, and implement rigorous suicide risk assessment and monitoring protocols, particularly for high-risk patient groups. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable.
trial registrationThis systematic review was conducted in accordance with a registered protocol (PROSPERO ID: CRD420251074013) and adheres to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
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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.