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. 2024 Mar 1;25(3):239-247.
doi: 10.1093/pm/pnad139.

Suicidal ideation in female individuals with fibromyalgia and comorbid obesity: prevalence and association with clinical, pain-related, and psychological factors

Giorgia Varallo  1 , Federica Scarpina  2   3 , Tor Arnison  4 , Emanuele Maria Giusti  5 , Micheal Tenti  6 , Giada Rapelli  7 , Roberto Cattivelli  8 , Giulia Landi  8 , Eliana Tossani  8 , Silvana Grandi  8 , Christian Franceschini  7 , Valentina Baldini  1   9 , Giuseppe Plazzi  1   10 , Paolo Capodaglio  11   12 , Gianluca Castelnuovo  13   14
Affiliations

Suicidal ideation in female individuals with fibromyalgia and comorbid obesity: prevalence and association with clinical, pain-related, and psychological factors

Giorgia Varallo et al. Pain Med. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Objective: Individuals with fibromyalgia report alarming levels of suicidal ideation, and comorbidity with other chronic health conditions such as obesity-a risk factor for suicidal ideation per se-could further complicate the clinical picture. The aim of this study is to determine, in a sample of women with fibromyalgia and comorbid obesity, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and to evaluate clinical, pain-related and psychological factors associated with suicidal ideation.

Methods: In total, 156 female individuals with fibromyalgia and obesity were recruited and completed a series of self-report measures that assessed (i) the level of pain intensity, (ii) depressive symptomatology, (iii) sleep quality, and (iv) pain catastrophizing. Suicidal ideation was evaluated by item #9 of the Beck Depression Inventory. In addition, information regarding previous suicide attempts and current opioid use was collected.

Results: 3n sum, 7.8% of participants reported presence of suicidal ideation. According to the results of the multiple logistic regression, depressive symptomatology, sleep quality, and pain catastrophizing were associated with the presence of suicidal ideation.

Discussion: The presence of suicidal ideation in our sample was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, sleep quality, and pain catastrophizing. Our findings are the first to suggest a unique (ie, independent of depressive symptomatology, and sleep quality) association between pain catastrophizing and suicidal ideation in the context of fibromyalgia and comorbid obesity. In order to prevent and reduce suicidal ideation, these factors should be assessed and targeted in interventions for pain management. Future research should investigate the extent to which addressing depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and pain catastrophizing reduces suicidal ideation.

Keywords: depression; fibromyalgia; obesity; pain catastrophizing; sleep quality; suicidal ideation.

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