Prakasini Satapathy, Abhay M Gaidhane, Nasir Vadia, Soumya V Menon, Kattela Chennakesavulu, Rajashree Panigrahi, Manpreet Kaur, Ganesh Bushi, Muhammed Shabil, Diptismita Jena, Mayank Goyal, Harish Kumar, Anju Rani, Sanjit Sah, Khang Wen Goh
Background: Suicidal ideation is a global public health concern, highlighting the need to identify modifiable risk factors. Handgrip strength (HGS), an objective measure of muscular strength, has been linked to mental health outcomes. This review synthesizes evidence on HGS and suicidal ideation, exploring modifiers such as sex. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis, registered with PROSPERO and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, evaluated data retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to November 30, 2024. The analysis focused on randomized controlled trials and observational studies—including case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional designs—that examined the relationship between HGS and suicidal ideation in human populations. A random-effects model was employed to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results: Out of 294 studies, 9 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, and 6 were eligible for meta-analysis, involving 81,035 participants. The pooled analysis showed a nonsignificant association between HGS and suicidal ideation. For males, the pooled OR per 1 kg increase in HGS was 0.939 (95% CI, 0.875–1.009), and for females, it was 0.851 (95% CI, 0.662–1.094), indicating a potential but nonsignificant protective effect. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis found no statistically significant association between handgrip strength and suicidal ideation in the pooled analysis. However, consistent trends observed in the qualitative synthesis suggest a potential relationship that warrants further investigation. Longitudinal studies are essential to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. © 2025 The Author(s). Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India; Faculty of Data Science and Information Technology, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, and Global Health Academy, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education, Wardha, India; Marwadi University Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Marwadi University, Gujarat, Rajkot, India; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bangalore, India; Department of Chemistry, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Department of Microbiology, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Odisha, Bhubaneswar, India; Department of Pharmacy, Chandigarh Pharmacy College, Chandigarh Group of Colleges-Jhanjeri, Punjab, Mohali, India; Chitkara Centre for Research and Development, Chitkara University, Punjab, Rajpura, India; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India; University Center for Research and Development, Chandigarh University, Punjab, Mohali, India; Medical Laboratories Techniques Department, AL-Mustaqbal University, Babil, Hillah, Iraq; Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University, Punjab, Rajpura, India; Division of Research and Innovation, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India; IES Institute of Pharmacy, IES University, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, India; New Delhi Institute of Management, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi, India; Department of Microbiology, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun, India; SR Sanjeevani Hospital, Kalyanpur, Siraha, Nepal; Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University), Maharashtra, Pune, India; Department of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Graphic Era Hill University, Clement Town, Dehradun, India
