Trisha Kibugi, MsGH ’26
Faculty Mentor: Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters
Cancer patients face significantly elevated suicide rates compared to the general population. While chronic pain is common in cancer and known to increase suicide risk, the specific relationship between chronic pain and suicide among cancer patients remains poorly understood. This research project uses United States national data to examine how chronic pain contributes to suicide deaths in this vulnerable population. In this project we will identify all suicide deaths among individuals with cancer from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) by systematically reviewing coroner/medical examiner and law enforcement reports.Furthermore, using this dataset, we will examine whether chronic pain is an independent risk factor for suicide among cancer patients and describe the circumstances surrounding these deaths.