March 8, 2026, 4:25 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Headaches are widespread and can make everyday life more difficult. But probably not only that: a study investigated whether people with headache disorders have an increased risk of suicide.
Headaches are one of the most common neurological complaints worldwide. Conditions such as migraines, tension headaches, and post-traumatic headaches in particular can have a significant impact on quality of life. This can even go so far as to increase the risk of suicide, at least according to a new study from Denmark.
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Background of the Study
Earlier research had already provided initial indications that there is a link between migraine and suicide attempts..1,2 However, the studies were always limited to just one illness. For this reason, scientists at Aarhus University wanted to close the gap and identify possible links between suicide attempts and completed suicides and headache disorders.
Focus on Four Headache Disorders
The study used data from Danish health registers collected between 1995 and 2020..3 All people aged 15 and over who were diagnosed with headache disorders were included. These were compared in a ratio of five to one with people without a headache diagnosis. This resulted in a headache group of 119,486 people and a pain-free cohort of 597,430 people. The average age was 40 years (exactly 40.1).
Four specific types of headache were examined:
- Migraine
- Tension headache
- Post-traumatic headache (e.g., after a head injury)
- Trigeminal autonomic headache disorder, or TAK for short (rare but extremely painful headache syndromes)
The relationship between headache disorders and (attempted) suicides was then calculated using proven statistical methods.
Significantly Increased Risk of Suicide in Patients With Headaches
The study showed that people with a diagnosed headache disorder had a significantly increased risk of suicide attempts and completed suicides. The 15-year risk of attempted suicide was 0.78 percent in the headache group, compared to 0.33 percent in the control group. The risk of completed suicide was also increased: 0.21 percent of headache patients died by suicide, compared to 0.15 percent in the control group. The statistical analyses showed that people with headaches were twice as likely to attempt suicide and 40 percent more likely to complete suicide.
The differences between the types of headache were clear: people with post-traumatic headaches or trigeminal autonomic headache disorder in particular had the highest risk of suicide. The risk was also higher for migraine and tension headaches, albeit less pronounced.
Headaches Increase Psychological Vulnerability
The results make it clear that headache disorders are not only physically stressful but are also associated with an increased psychological risk. People with severe headache syndromes in particular should be specifically examined and treated with regard to suicidal thoughts and psychological stress.
The study suggests that increased integration of psychological care into the treatment of headache patients could be important. Doctors should be aware of the increased suicidality and offer psychiatric or psychological support in good time if necessary.
“We don’t know exactly why there is a link between headaches and suicide, but our research lays the groundwork for future work on the complicated relationship between headaches and other psychiatric disorders. Severe headaches can lead to feelings of hopelessness or demoralization, or worse, as we found out,” explains first author
Holly Elser in a press release:.4 “There is a clear need for future research to further investigate this link, and there is currently a clear need for immediate identification and treatment of psychiatric symptoms in our headache patients.”
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Classification of the Study and Possible Limitations
The strength of this study lies in its large sample size and long observation period. By using national health registries, a comprehensive picture of suicide risk in headache patients could be obtained.
However, there are some limitations. As the study is based on diagnoses from hospitals and specialist clinics, patients with milder headaches who were only treated in GP care may not have been included. The fact that only Danish citizens were included also means that the results may not be transferable to other population groups.
In addition, concomitant illnesses such as depression were not analyzed separately, although they could play an important role in suicidality. Finally, this is an observational study, so no direct conclusions can be drawn about causality. “A headache alone may be treated differently from a headache in combination with other psychiatric disorders. For example, the appropriate treatment of depression often requires higher doses of antidepressants than for headaches alone, or a completely different class of medication is used,” says Elser. “Our analysis can help clinicians better treat their patients with all types of headaches by considering their mental health treatment as well as their headache symptoms.”
Despite these limitations, the results provide valuable information for clinical practice. They show that headache patients are a particularly vulnerable group in need of more intensive psychological care.
The German original of this article was published in February 2025.
Help for Those Affected
The “Deutsche Depressionshilfe” (German Depression Aid) advises those affected to speak openly about this and, if necessary, to help them contact a doctor or psychotherapist. Sometimes it may also be necessary to take them to an emergency psychiatric clinic. If you are having suicidal thoughts yourself: The telephone helpline at 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 is free of charge and available 24/7. For serious psychological emergencies, you can dial 113 for help. Please get help!