Association of Internet Addiction Disorder with self-injurious behavior: a meta-analysis

The prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) and self-injury (SI) is steadily rising over time. Numerous studies have extensively examined both phenomena. However, the relationship between IA and SI remains unclear, we conducted this meta-analysis to confirm the association between them. We searched articles published in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Medline, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases from their inception to 31 December 2023, by search terms. Articles were included if the study investigated Internet addiction in individuals with self-injurious behaviors, or if Internet use was clearly associated with self-injurious behaviors. The extraction of articles and quality assessment for included reviews were performed independently by two authors. The results of the meta-analysis indicate a positive association between IA and SI. Additionally, our study found that SI is also positively associated with IA. Specifically, IA is found to be associated with a higher risk of SI (<i>n</i> = 11, odds ratio [OR] = 2.56, 95% CI = 2.22–2.95). Similarly, SI is associated with an increased risk of IA (<i>n</i> = 10, OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 2.08–3.60). There may be an association between IA and SI, but further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship between the two, and to provide a comprehensive plan for the prevention of related diseases.