title: The prevalence and correlates of chronic pain and suicidality in a nationally representative sample.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To document the prevalence and correlates of chronic pain and suicide, and estimate the contribution of chronic pain to suicidality.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia g.campbell@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Darke
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: Raimondo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Degenhardt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic non-cancer pain; prevalence; suicide