The role of problem-solving skills in the prevention of suicidal behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association between problem-solving skills and suicidal behaviors and elucidate the potential role of problem-solving skills in influencing the occurrence of suicidal behaviors. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched until August 16, 2023. Studies addressing the associations between problem-solving skills and suicidal behaviors were included. The I(2) statistics were used to examine between-study heterogeneity. The Begg and Egger tests were used to determine the possibility of publication bias. Using a random-effects model, the overall effect size was presented as an odds ratio (OR) or standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of 8040 identified studies, 29 (including 974,542 participants) were eligible. Based on observational studies, problem-solving skills were found to be inversely related to suicidal ideation (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.82); suicide attempts (OR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.89), and suicide death (OR = 0.02; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.03). The overall score of problem-solving skills was higher in those who did not attempt suicide than those who did (SMD = 0.84; 95% CI: 54, 1.13). Based on randomized clinical trials, problem-solving therapy was found to reduce the risk of suicide (OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.87). Furthermore, the overall risk of suicide was lower among those who received problem-solving therapy than those who did not (SMD = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.29, 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed an inverse association between problem-solving skills and suicidal behaviors. However, further research is needed to better understand the complex relationship between problem-solving skills and suicidal behaviors.