Genetic risk of chronic pain conditions associated with risk of suicide death through an integrative analysis of EHR and genomics data

Seonggyun Han; Emily DiBlasi; Eric T. Monson; Andrey A. Shabalin; Lisa Baird; Danli Chen; Dirga Lamichhane; Doug Tharp; Elliott Ferris; Zhe Yu; W Brandon Callor; Michael J. Staley; Qingqin S. Li; Virginia Willour; David K. Crockett; Karen Eilbeck; Amanda V. Bakian; Brooks R. Keeshin; Akiko Okifuji; Hilary Coon; Anna R. Docherty

doi:10.1038/s41398-026-03861-6

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Genetic risk of chronic pain conditions associated with risk of suicide death through an integrative analysis of EHR and genomics data

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Genetic risk of chronic pain conditions associated with risk of suicide death through an integrative analysis of EHR and genomics data

Seonggyun Han, Emily DiBlasi, Eric T. Monson, Andrey A. Shabalin, Lisa Baird, Danli Chen, Dirga Lamichhane, Doug Tharp, Elliott Ferris, Zhe Yu, …

Translational psychiatry, Vol.16(1), 117

02/16/2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03861-6

PMCID: PMC12949045

PMID: 41698884

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Abstract

Chronic pain represents heritable conditions linked to suicide death. It has been suggested that a shared genetic predisposition may contribute to this relationship, but there has not yet been a comprehensive assessment of genetic and clinical overlaps of different types of chronic pain with suicide death. Here, we integrated whole-genome sequencing and electronic health records from 986 unrelated individuals of European ancestry who died by suicide in the Utah Suicide Mortality Research Study and 415 ancestrally-matched population controls selected for absence of disease. Polygenic scores (PGSs) for seven distinct types of chronic pain were calculated and tested in the suicide cohort. We observed significant positive associations of PGSs for multisite chronic pain (PGS MCP ) and chronic widespread pain (PGS CWP ) with suicide mortality. Sex-stratified analyses showed elevations in both males and females. Pain diagnosis-stratified analyses revealed associations with suicide death regardless of chronic pain diagnoses. Follow-up tests of PGSs for more specific pain conditions showed additional associations with suicide death for: 1) monoarticular arthritis, 2) back pain, and 3) chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy across all suicide death individuals, and 4) irritable bowel syndrome within males only. In a multiple logistic regression test of all chronic pain PGSs associating suicide death status, four types of pain remained uniquely associated with suicide death, highlighting distinct subgroups within suicide death: some attributed to MCP and CWP, and others associated with monoarticular arthritis or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. This cohort study reports associations between suicide death and PGSs from various pain conditions, regardless of sex or chronic pain diagnosis, suggesting that combining genetic and clinical risk factors may better identify genetic overlap, causal directions, and/or specific gene pathways.

Pharmacotherapy

Psychiatry

45/23

45/43

631/208/212

631/208/212/748

692/699/476

Article

Behavioral Sciences

Biological Psychology

General

Medicine

Medicine & Public Health

Neurosciences

Details

Title: Subtitle: Genetic risk of chronic pain conditions associated with risk of suicide death through an integrative analysis of EHR and genomics data
Creators: Seonggyun Han - University of Utah
Emily DiBlasi - University of Utah
Eric T. Monson - University of Utah
Andrey A. Shabalin - University of Utah
Lisa Baird - University of Utah
Danli Chen - Huntsman Cancer Institute
Dirga Lamichhane - University of Utah
Doug Tharp - University of Utah
Elliott Ferris - University of Utah
Zhe Yu - Huntsman Cancer Institute
W Brandon Callor - Utah Department of Health
Michael J. Staley - Utah Department of Health
Qingqin S. Li - Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research & Development LLC
Virginia Willour - University of Iowa
David K. Crockett - Intermountain Healthcare
Karen Eilbeck - University of Utah
Amanda V. Bakian - Huntsman Cancer Institute
Brooks R. Keeshin - Huntsman Cancer Institute
Akiko Okifuji - University of Utah
Hilary Coon - Huntsman Cancer Institute
Anna R. Docherty - University of Utah
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Translational psychiatry, Vol.16(1), 117
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-026-03861-6
PMID: 41698884
PMCID: PMC12949045
NLM abbreviation: Transl Psychiatry
ISSN: 2158-3188
eISSN: 2158-3188
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK
Grant note: R01MH122412; R01MH123489; R01MH123619 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000025) 28132; 28686 / Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation) (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000874) R01ES032028 / U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000066) BSG-005-18; BSG-005-18 / American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) (https://doi.org/10.13039/100001455)
Language: English
Date published: 02/16/2026
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9985139482702771

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