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Severe headaches associated with an increased risk of suicide

Severe headaches associated with an increased risk of suicide

People diagnosed with severe headaches can be exposed to an increased risk of suicide.

This is a warning of the team of researchers from the USA i Denmark who studied the risk of suicide almost 120,000 people with headache disorder, compared to their counterparts without such a diagnosis.

Headache disorders include conditions such as migraine, post -traumatic headaches and tension headaches, as well as three -zone autonomous cefalalgije (tacs), which cause pain only on one side of the head.

“A solid and persistent relationship with trials and suicide in headache disorders suggests that patients with diagnosed headache can take advantage of the simultaneous assessment of behavioral health and treatment,” scientists wrote in their article.

Wales of women with migraine
The warehouse photo shows a woman suffering from migraine.

Tuneatura / Istock / Getty Images

In his study, cognitive neurologist Holly Elser from the University of Pennsylvania and her colleagues analyzed data on 119,486 patients aged 15 and older who were diagnosed in the Danish national healthcare system with migraines, tense pain, pain after levels or trays in years 1995 and 2020.

Then scientists adapted those patients with 597 430 people from the general Danish population who did not receive such a diagnosis of headache.

The team stated that people diagnosed with any of the four examined headache disorders were more exposed to both suicide and attempts to suicide over the next 15 years.

In particular, 0.78 percent of people with headache attempts attempted suicide, and 0.21 percent committed suicide-resistant with 0.33 and 0.15 percent in the Nie-Headache control group.

Scientists have found that a stronger connection between the risk of suicide and diagnoses with a post -traumatic head and tray was found.

“The mechanisms underlying the observed connections between headache disorders and suicide are uncertain,” wrote scientists.

On the one hand, they said, headaches and psychiatric symptoms probably have a complex relationship, and the latter cause headaches. Also, a sense of demoralization and hopelessness resulting from serious headaches can contribute to suicide.

“Secondly, previous studies show a relationship between chronic pain and suicide, which persists after taking into account the concomitant psychiatric disease,” the team added. “This raises the possibility of suicide as a reaction to the experience of chronic pain associated with headache episodes.”

In addition, scientists have found that it is possible that some headaches and psychiatric syndromes may have common reasons for changes in the release of hormonal serotonin and the production of signaling particles causing inflammation.

If you or someone you know, you need help, you can contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the USA by calling or sending SMS -y 988.

Do you have a clue about the scientific history that Newsweek should include? Do you have a question about headache disorders? Let us know through [email protected].

Reference

Elser, H., Farkas, DK, FuglSang, CH, Sørensen, St & Sørensen, HT (2025). The risk of testing and completing suicide in people with a diagnosed headache. Jama Neurology.