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Suicide and Self-Harm in Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Sara Lindstedt1, Christian Rück1, Tatja Hirvikoski1,2,3
1Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research : JIDR
|October 4, 2025
Summary
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) face higher self-harm risks but lower suicide death rates compared to the general population. Further research is needed due to study limitations and heterogeneity.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Psychiatry
- Disability Studies
Background:
- Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience higher rates of suicidality risk factors.
- No prior meta-analysis has quantified suicide and self-harm risks in this population.
- This study synthesizes existing research on suicidality among individuals with ID.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the relative risk of suicide and self-harm in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- To synthesize the current body of research on suicidality within this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
- Searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases.
- Assessed risk of bias using the ROBINS-E checklist and synthesized results with a random effects model.
Main Results:
- Eleven studies (n=241,438) were included.
- Individuals with ID showed a pooled relative risk of 0.54 for death by suicide (95% CI 0.33 to 0.89).
- Individuals with ID exhibited a relative risk of 3.16 for self-harm (95% CI 2.3 to 4.35).
Conclusions:
- Individuals with ID have an increased risk of self-harm but a decreased risk of suicide death.
- Findings require cautious interpretation due to limited studies and significant heterogeneity.
- Further research differentiating between mild and moderate-to-profound ID is recommended.
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