That Pain Could Kill You

Much remains uncertain about associations between noncancer pain and suicide. These researchers linked information on almost 5 million veterans receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs facilities in fiscal year 2005 to data on suicides reported during the next 3 fiscal years to the CDC's National Death Index.

In analyses adjusting for relevant demographic, medical, and Axis I psychiatric factors, the risk for suicide was increased by about 58% for patients with psychogenic pain, 34% for those with migraine, and 13% for those with back pain. In the 2838 veterans with pain who killed themselves, the most common means of suicide were shooting and poisoning.