A five-month longitudinal study of psychache and suicide ideation: replication in general and high-risk university students.

Shneidman's (1993) model of psychache as the cause of suicide was evaluated in a 5-month longitudinal study of psychological pain and suicide ideation. Replicating across general (N = 683) and high-risk undergraduates (N = 262), psychache was significantly associated with suicide ideation, and change in psychache was significantly associated with change in suicide ideation. For general suicide ideation and suicide preparation, these significant results were maintained even when depression and hopelessness were statistically controlled. This research is a unique contribution being the first large-sample longitudinal study that evaluates and supports Shneidman's psychache causal model of suicidality in general and high-risk groups.