The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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Using Veterans Health Administration data, we assessed the extent to which mean past-year (365 days) pain intensity scores were associated with suicide attempts in the year after the initiation of pain specialty services in fiscal years 2012 to 2014 (N = 221,817). Suicide attempts in the year after initiating Veterans Health Administration pain specialty services (ie, index visit) were identified using medical records and a suicide surveillance sources. Adjusted hazard models accounted for key covariates (eg, demographics, comorbidities). ⋯ The results suggest that moderate to severe pain intensity in the year before initiating pain specialty services may be a useful indicator of suicide risk, even when considered in the context of key factors. PERSPECTIVE: This study used national administrative and suicide surveillance data to assess the relationship between pain intensity and suicide attempts after an initial visit for pain specialty services among veterans. These findings highlight the potential usefulness of assessing pain intensity as an indicator for suicide risk.