Severe pain predicts greater likelihood of subsequent suicide

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2010 Dec;40(6):597-608. doi: 10.1521/suli.2010.40.6.597.

Abstract

Using data from the 1999 Large Health Survey of Veterans, Veterans Affairs' medical records, and the National Death Index (N = 260,254), the association between self-reported pain severity and suicide among veterans as examined, after accounting for demographic variables and psychiatric diagnoses. A Cox proportional hazards regression demonstrated that veterans with severe pain were more likely to die by suicide than patients experiencing none, mild, or moderate pain (HR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.15, 1.54), after controlling for demographic and psychiatric characteristics. These results indicate that pain evaluations should be included in comprehensive suicide assessments and suicide prevention efforts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Chronic Disease / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pain / complications
  • Pain / psychology*
  • Pain Measurement
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Suicide / psychology*
  • Suicide / statistics & numerical data
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Veterans / psychology
  • Veterans / statistics & numerical data
  • Young Adult