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Demoralization and Suicidal Ideation in Chronic Pain Patients
Vasileios Chytas1, Alessandra Costanza2,3, Viridiana Mazzola1
1Department of Psychiatry, Service of Liaison Psychiatry and Crisis Intervention, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Psychology Research and Behavior Management
|March 13, 2023
Summary
Patients with chronic pain face high risks of suicidal behavior. This study found a strong link between demoralization and suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients, suggesting demoralization is a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Chronic pain patients exhibit elevated risk for suicidal behavior (SB).
- Demoralization may be linked to pain and functional disability.
- Understanding the risk profile for SB in this population is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between demoralization and suicidal ideation (SI) in chronic pain patients.
- To determine if demoralization occurs independently of depression in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study including 140 adult chronic pain patients (70 with SI, 70 without SI), matched for age and gender.
- Utilized the Demoralization Scale (DS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II).
- Assessed suicidal ideation using the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI).
Main Results:
- Patients with SI exhibited significantly more intense depressive symptoms compared to those without SI.
- A statistically significant difference in demoralization levels was observed between the SI and non-SI groups (p<0.001).
- Strong positive correlations were found between DS and BDI-II (R=0.749), and between DS and SSI (R=0.704), indicating high demoralization is associated with increased SI.
Conclusions:
- Demoralization is strongly associated with suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients.
- The study could not differentiate between depression and demoralization, as both constructs strongly correlated with suicidal thoughts and each other.
- Further research is needed to clarify the distinct roles of depression and demoralization in chronic pain and SB risk.
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