correlation of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in patients with multiple sclerosis

Background: the chronicity of multiple sclerosis (ms) plays a key role in 25% of suicides. therefore, it is essential to assess the other influential factors in this regard. objectives: the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in patients with ms and the correlated factors. methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on 203 ms patients referred to the ms society of kermanshah, iran during august-october 2015. data were collected using a checklist of demographics and patient records, ifudu comorbidity index, 100-meter walk test, and beck’s depression and suicidal thoughts scales. data analysis was performed using binary logistic regression analysis. results: in total, 30% of the patients had suicidal thoughts, and 8.4% had suicide attempts. after adjustment for demographics, the obtained results indicated that illiterate patients (p < 0.05) and those with a higher depression grade (p < 0.001) were at a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. illiteracy, older age at the first diagnosis, and being a housewife or unemployed (p < 0.05) significantly decreased the likelihood of suicide attempts, while comorbidities, suicidal thoughts, and depression (p < 0.05) significantly increased the likelihood of suicide attempts. conclusions: since ms patients are highly prone to suicidal thoughts and even suicide attempts, providing training and preventive psychological interventions are recommended for high-risk cases, such as illiterate patients with challenging jobs, young patients, and patients with comorbidities and depression.