The relationship between diabetic ketoacidosis and suicidal or self-injurious behaviour: A systematic review

Background

It has been suggested that there may be an association between type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and suicide, with one study reporting a rate 11 times that of the general population The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA: a life-threatening acute complication of T1DM) and suicidal behaviours in people with T1DM.

Methods

We performed a search of the following databases: PubMed, PsychInfo, and Embase for papers which explored the association between suicidal behaviours and self-harm with DKA in T1DM. We excluded case reports and review papers.

Results

Only three papers explored the relationship between DKA and self-harm. One study found an association between DKA and self-harm in a national cohort of people with type 1 diabetes and schizophrenia. The second found a significant increase in psychiatric admissions for self-harm following an episode of DKA. The third study reported that patients with diabetes and a history of self-harm were at elevated risk of a range of diabetes complications including DKA. These findings indicate an association between DKA and self-harm and support the guidelines in recommending a psychosocial assessment where DKA cannot be explained.

Conclusions

This review suggests that DKA is associated with suicidal or self-injurious behaviours. The small number of studies and the seriousness of this issue highlight the importance of further research on this topic, to improve the evidence base for the identification and treatment of risk of suicidal behaviours in people with T1DM.