Suicidal ideation and medical comorbidity: a hidden problem

Suicide is responsible for over 700,000 deaths each year worldwide, with approximately seventy-seven percent of global suicides occurring in low- and middle-income countries, such as Brazil. One known predictor for suicide is suicidal ideation (SI), which increases the risk of suicide by four times. Multiple studies have linked specific sociodemographic and psychiatric aspects with SI, while fewer studies3 have investigated its association with somatic (medical) conditions. In addition, most of the available data comes from high-income countries, showing the importance of exploring this association in other populations.