Can headaches trigger suicides? A 25-year-old study finds answers

The study observed surprising link between headache disorders and the risk of suicide. Read to know more.

Can headache disorders trigger attempts of suicide? According to a study conducted by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, people with headache disorders are more at risk of attempting suicide. The long study of 25 years, titled ‘Risk of attempted and completed suicide in persons diagnosed with headache’ was published in JAMA Neurology.

The study explored how people diagnosed with headache disorders are more at risk of suicide. (Pexels)

The study explored how people diagnosed with migraine, tension-type headaches, posttraumatic headaches, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia are more at risk of suicide. Around 66.6% of the world’s population is affected by headaches, which can also trigger psychiatric comorbidities. Previous studies have linked migraines to an increased rate of suicide, but studies linking other headache disorders with suicide are limited.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 1,19,486 individuals diagnosed with headaches, and 5,97,430 of the participants matched diagnoses with headache disorders. This included migraine, tension-type headache, posttraumatic headache, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias.

The study observed 0.78% of attempted suicide in people diagnosed with headaches compared with 0.33% in the participants with headache disorders. In a 15-year time frame, 0.21% of completed suicides were observed when compared with 0.15% in participants diagnosed with headache disorders. People with migraines demonstrated a ratio of 1.71 for attempted suicide to 1.09 for completed suicide.

Are headaches and suicide risk linked?(Pexels)

People diagnosed with headaches also showed more risk of medical and psychiatric conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, head injury, mood disorders, substance use disorders, and others. The increased risk of suicides and headaches was persistent irrespective of sex, age, income, or educational background. However, the association in mood or substance disorder patients was observed to be smaller but present.

The researchers added in the paper, “The robust and persistent association with attempted and completed suicide across headache disorders suggests that patients diagnosed with headache may benefit from concurrent behavioural health evaluation and treatment.”

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.