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Meta-Analysis
. 2020 Nov;50(11):3857-3873.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04443-1.

The Prevalence of Self-injurious Behaviour in Autism: A Meta-analytic Study

Catherine Steenfeldt-Kristensen  1   2 , Chris A Jones  1 , Caroline Richards  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The Prevalence of Self-injurious Behaviour in Autism: A Meta-analytic Study

Catherine Steenfeldt-Kristensen et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Self-injurious behaviour is purportedly common in autism, but prevalence rates have not yet been synthesised meta-analytically. In the present study, data from 14,379 participants in thirty-seven papers were analysed to generate a pooled prevalence estimate of self-injury in autism of 42% (confidence intervals 0.38-0.47). Hand-hitting topography was the most common form of self-injury (23%), self-cutting topography the least common (3%). Sub-group analyses revealed no association between study quality, participant intellectual disability or age and overall prevalence rate of self-injury. However, females obtained higher prevalence rates than males (p = .013) and hair pulling and self-scratching were associated with intellectual disability (p = .008 and p = .002, respectively). The results confirm very high rates of self-injury in autism and highlight within group risk-markers.

Keywords: Autism; Intellectual disability; Prevalence; Self-harm; Self-injurious behaviour.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow chart showing the number of papers included and excluded at each stage of screening and review (Moher et al. 2009)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pooled prevalence estimates for self-injurious behaviour in autism using a random-effects model. Treatment effect (TE), standard error of the treatment effect (seTE), prevalence rate, confidence intervals and weighting by the random-effects model are reported
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Baujat chart of sources of heterogeneity
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Pooled prevalence estimate for self-injurious behaviour in autism using a random-effects model with each study omitted. Prevalence rates and confidence intervals are reported
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Pooled prevalence estimates for self-injurious behaviour in autism using a random-effects model. Treatment effect (TE), standard error of the treatment effect (seTE), prevalence rate, confidence intervals and weighting by the random-effects model are reported
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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