Suicidal Behavior in Turkish Individuals with Chronic Pain: A Comparison with Non-pain Controls

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among individuals with chronic pain and pain-free individuals in Türkiye. It further investigates the mediating role of psychological distress between pain intensity and suicidal ideation severity in chronic pain patients.

Methods: Pain intensity was assessed with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, suicidality with the self-reported version of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, and psychological distress with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Chi-square (χ2) tests were used to compare groups on categorical variables, and Student’s t-tests for continuous variables. Poisson regression was conducted to predict suicidal ideation severity scores based on group, marital status, age, and psychological distress. Mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro examined the mediating role of psychological distress between pain intensity and suicidal ideation severity.

Results: In the chronic pain group, 53 (23.7%) individuals reported suicidal ideation, compared to 45 (21.3%) in the control group. Previous suicide attempts were reported by 30 (13.4%) in the chronic pain group and 25 (11.8%) in the control group. However, the groups did not differ significantly on suiciderelated measures. Having chronic pain did not significantly predict suicidal ideation severity. The chronic pain group reported higher psychological distress, which mediated the relationship between pain intensity and suicidal ideation severity.

Conclusion: Psychological distress should be considered in assessing suicide risk and designing interventions against suicide among chronic pain patients.

Cite this article as: Karkın AN, Eskin M. Suicidal behavior in Turkish individuals with chronic pain: A comparison with non-pain controls. Neuropsychiatr Invest. 2026, 64, 0016, 10.5152/NeuropsychiatricInvest.2026.25016.