Suicide risk in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review of current literature

Studies have shown that suicidal ideation is often revealed among patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Mental health assessment of physically ill patients should form part of routine clinical evaluation, particularly in chronic illness.

The aim of the present paper was to investigate whether there was a relationship between MS and suicidal behavior.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the potential association between MS and suicidal behavior. A total of 12 articles from peer-reviewed journals were considered and selected for this review.

Most studies have documented a higher suicide rate in patients with MS compared to the general population, and suicide was associated with several risk factors: Depression severity, social isolation, younger age, progressive disease subtype, lower income, earlier disease course, higher levels of physical disability, and not driving.

Clinicians should be aware of the fact that suicidality may occur with higher frequency in MS patients, the available data suggest that the risk of self-harm is higher than expected in MS patients.