The benefits and risks of asking research participants about suicide: a meta-analysis of the impact of exposure to suicide-related content
Open accessAbstract
One obstacle potentially hindering research on suicide is the assumption that assessing suicide may make individuals more likely to engage in suicidal thoughts or behaviours; a concern expressed by ethics committees, researchers, and clinicians. However, decisions which are overly cautious and restrictive when approving research proposals will hinder important research in this area. The present aim was to conduct a meta-analysis to examine whether asking about suicide or exposure to suicide-related content in research studies led to changes in participants' levels of distress, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and unpublished literature from 2000 to 2017 identified 18 studies. Exposure to suicide-related content led to significant, albeit small, reductions in suicidal ideation (g = -0.13, p < .001) and a lower likelihood of engaging in suicidal behaviour (OR = 0.714, p < .05). The reduction in suicidal ideation was moderated by age such that adolescents showed nearly twice as large a reduction in suicidal ideation from pre- to post-exposure as adults did. Thus, evidence to date suggests that asking research participants about suicide does not increase risk, and may be associated with small benefits. Ethics review boards should calibrate their consideration of the risks associated with participation based on the available evidence and relative to the cost of depriving potential participants of any benefits that participation may offer.
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The limited available evidence suggests that suicide-risk screening does not increase STBs in youth aged 12 years or older.
“The limited available evidence suggests that suicide-risk screening does not increase STBs in youth aged 12 years or older11 and may even lead to small reductions in suicidal thoughts12 and behaviors.13”
From Asking Preadolescents About Suicide Is Not Associated With Increased Suicidal Thoughts (2026) · cites this paper as [13]
The Abstract concludes that asking research participants about suicide does not increase risk, and Table 4 (p. 37) reports reduced suicidal ideation in an adolescent sample. But the meta-analysis covers participants aged 13–92 (p. 18); it does not establish the claim specifically for suicide-risk screening in youth aged 12 or older. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe findings align with previous research indicating that suicide-risk screening is relatively safe in older youth.
“The findings also align with previous research indicating that suicide-risk screening is relatively safe in older youth.12,13,40”
From Asking Preadolescents About Suicide Is Not Associated With Increased Suicidal Thoughts (2026) · cites this paper as [13]
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References 41 · Cited by 203
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Cohen, J. (1969). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral science. New York: Academic Press.
- Authors
- Blades, C. A., Stritzke, W. G. K., Page, A. C., & Brown, J. D.
- Affiliations
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Stritzke, Werner G.K.
- ORCID
- Page, Andrew C.
- Venue
- Clinical Psychology Review
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-08
- Volume
- 64
- Pages
- 1-12
- ISSN
- 0272-7358 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2813020921
- Cited by
- 203
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 3.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- Locations
- Clinical Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Ethics in Clinical Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- suicide research, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, research ethics review, risk-benefit assessment, adolescents, participant distress
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Risk Factors, Suicide, Suicide, Attempted, Risk Assessment, Research Subjects
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