Self-Esteem and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Meta-Analytic Review

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The feeling of being of little worth can trigger suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between self-esteem and STBs based on 114 studies and tested potential moderators of this association. We found moderate to strong negative associations between self-esteem and STBs (ideation: r = −.435, d = −0.805; behavior: r = −.258, d = −0.828; combination of thoughts and behaviors: r = −.405, d = −1.610). In this meta-analysis, we identified evidence gaps, including the need for more studies on the association between suicidal behavior and self-esteem, more research on the second half of life, and more longitudinal studies. Overall, this meta-analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between self-esteem and STBs and contributes to the existing literature on suicide prevention.