Background: Research suggests that people suffering from chronic pain have elevated rates of suicidality. With an ageing population, more research is essential to gain a better understanding of this association.

Aims: To document the prevalence and correlates of chronic pain and suicide, and estimate the contribution of chronic pain to suicidality.

Method: Data from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, a nationally representative household survey on 8841 people, aged 16-85 years, was analysed.

Results: The odds of lifetime and past 12-month suicidality were two to three times greater in people with chronic pain. Sixty-five percent of people who attempted suicide in the past 12 months had a history of chronic pain. Chronic pain was independently associated with lifetime suicidality after controlling for demographic, mental health and substance use disorders.

CConclusions: Health care professionals need to be aware of the risk of suicidality in patients with chronic pain, even in the absence of mental health problems.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	chronic non-cancer pain, prevalence, suicide
Research Division:	Psychology
Research Group:	Clinical and health psychology
Research Field:	Health psychology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Public health (excl. specific population health)
Objective Field:	Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Bruno, R (Associate Professor Raimondo Bruno)
ID Code:	98640
Year Published:	2015
Funding Support:	National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1022522)
Web of Science® Times Cited:	47
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2015-02-23
Last Modified:	2017-11-07
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