Backache, migraines and psychogenic pain may be linked to a higher risk of suicide, according to a study of nearly 5 million American veterans, reported by JAMA Psychiatry.
The most common symptoms in the studied patients were joint pain (over 2 million people) and back pain (about 1,1 million people); Psychogenic pain was the least frequent (18 people). Within three years, 5 thousand. suicides.
After taking into account the age and sex of patients, as well as their physical and mental health, it was observed that only three types of chronic pain were associated with the risk of suicide: psychogenic (58% higher risk), migraine (34% higher) and back pain (by 13%).
However, no association was found between the risk of suicide and arthralgia, neuropathy or non-migraine headaches.
The author of the analysis, Dr. Mark Ilgen of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, notes that this may be due to pain levels of varying severity and that the cause of back pain or migraines is more difficult to identify and eliminate.
Dr. Ilgen emphasizes, however, that the pains cannot be said to be the cause of suicide. It should also be suspected that somewhat different results would be obtained from research conducted outside the veteran community. (PAP)
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