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Interoception in self-harm and suicide: a scoping review and meta-analysis
Bowen Liu1, Zhijun Wu1, Mengyu Xue1
1Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Nature Human Behaviour
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Interoceptive sensibility, or trusting bodily signals, is linked to lower self-harm and suicide risk. Deficits in evaluating bodily signals correlate with increased self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Interoception, the sensing of internal bodily signals, is implicated in self-harm and suicidal behaviors.
- Previous research suggests associations, but quantitative synthesis across interoceptive dimensions is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively synthesize associations between interoceptive dimensions and self-harm/suicidal outcomes.
- To explore underlying neural mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review and meta-analysis of 66 studies (36,934 participants).
- Searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, EMBASE.
- Classified interoception into accuracy, sensibility, awareness, and 'Other' dimensions.
Main Results:
- Interoceptive accuracy showed weak, non-significant links to self-harm and suicidal outcomes.
- Interoceptive sensibility (trust in bodily signals, self-regulation) negatively associated with suicidal ideation and attempts (small-to-moderate effect sizes).
- Interoceptive deficits in the 'Other' dimension positively associated with non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation.
Conclusions:
- Interoceptive sensibility and cognitive-emotional evaluation are key dimensions related to self-harm and suicidality.
- Altered processing in the insula and prefrontal cortex may underlie these associations.
- Interoception offers a promising domain for understanding and potentially intervening in self-harm and suicide risk.
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