Mortality, suicidality and deliberate self-harm in functional seizures: systematic review, age-based, sex-based and region-based meta-analyses

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WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

  • Seizure disorders are associated with high psychological burdens and psychiatric comorbidities.

    • WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

  • Functional seizures (FSs) are associated with high mortality rates, as well as higher odds of suicidality and self-harm. Only limited data are available in low- and middle-income countries.

    • HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY

  • Psychological support needs to be integrated into the basic medical management of people with seizure disorders, particularly FS.

  • Anti-suicide programmes need to be developed for this specific subgroup of patients, particularly in resource-limited settings.

    • Introduction

    Neurological and psychiatric disorders are among the leading causes of death worldwide.1 2 Mortality rates are increased as a direct consequence of the condition or indirectly through negatively affecting the quality of life of affected persons. Also, chronic illnesses, especially those associated with concomitant psychiatric disorders, are associated with higher suicide rates.3 4

    Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry - Online First Published 28 Oct 2026 Imported 28 Oct 2026 Relevancy: Not reviewed

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