The Prevalence of Self-harm Among Iranian High-Risk Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: For the past years, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been a major and urgent public health problem. Many studies have shown that NSSI is profoundly prevalent among high-risk populations. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of NSSI in a high-risk Iranian population. Materials and Methods: The searches were performed in international databases such as Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and PsycINFO, and national ones such as IranMedex, Magiran, and SID. All available data were searched up to the end of June 2024. The heterogeneity of the studies' results was investigated using Cochran's Q test and I2 statistic. Moreover, meta-regression analysis was conducted based on the year of the study. Results: Of the 2,180 screened studies, 12 articles met all the inclusion criteria. The random-effects model estimated that the overall prevalence of self-harm in the high-risk population was 34.49% (95% CI: 21.32 - 47.66). Among women, the prevalence of NSSI was higher than that of men [40.79% (95% CI: 15.59 - 65.99) vs. 31.86% (95% CI: 13.45 - 50.28), respectively]. Subgroup analysis of self-harm type showed that the estimated prevalence for self-poisoning was the highest: 56.14% (95% CI: 43.10 - 69.17). Conclusions: The high prevalence of NSSI among high-risk populations in Iran calls for urgent, effective interventions to reduce this harmful behavior in society.