While we usually think of suicide as a mental health problem, there are important links between physical health, physical injury, and suicide risk. Among those connections is a link between head injuries and suicide risk.

A recent study, published in the American Academy of Neurology’s peer-reviewed journal, shed some light on this connection. While it’s well-known that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with an increased risk of suicide, this study found that head injuries more generally are also linked to suicide risk.

What the study results showed

The UK-based study compared adults with and without head injuries over a 20-year period, matching them by age, sex, and geographical location. The top-level result was clear: people with head injuries had more suicide attempts, more suicide risk factors, and more deaths by suicide.

The study found that the risk of suicide was highest in the first 12 months after the head injury itself. It also found that people with other suicide risk factors, including a history of mental health conditions and lack of social connection, had particularly elevated risk—but even among those with no other risk factors, head injuries were still correlated with increased risk of suicide.

The study authors suggested that suicide risk assessment and prevention should be used for people with head injuries, especially in the first 12 months after the injury—even in people with no mental health history. These results are important for physicians and other medical professionals who care for people with head injuries, from nurses to neurologists.

Doctors need to take suicide risk into account when caring for injured patients

This study focused on head injuries, but it’s indicative of a larger truth: when treating patients for physical injuries and illnesses, physicians need to be aware of suicide risk factors and conduct appropriate assessments. As we’ve previously written, physical conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, post-partum complications, and chronic pain have all been linked to increased suicidality. Medical professionals who treat people with those conditions need to treat the whole patient, taking into account suicide risk and mental health more generally. The same is true for patients with non-TBI head injuries.

When doctors focus exclusively on physical health and ignore warning signs of suicide or self-harm risk, patients can suffer irreparably. More research is needed on the specific links between injury and suicide risk, as well as the specific interventions that are needed for patients with each type of injury. What is clear, though, is that physicians of all specialties have a critical role to play in suicide prevention.

If you lost a loved one to suicide completion, we can help

Suicide is preventable, and when a medical professional’s failure to provide adequate care leads to death by suicide, accountability is critical. The Law Offices of Skip Simpson fights for families who have lost loved ones throughout the United States.

If you lost a loved one to suicide completion, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your legal options. Give us a call or contact us online today.