Using data from the 1999 Large Health Survey of Veterans, Veterans’ Affairs medical records, & the National Death Index, the association between self-reported pain severity & suicide among veterans was examined, after accounting for demographic variables & psychiatric diagnoses. A Cox proportional hazards regression demonstrated that veterans with severe pain were more likely to die by suicide than patients experiencing none, mild, or moderate pain, after controlling for demographic & psychiatric characteristics. These results indicate that pain evaluations should be included in comprehensive suicide assessments & suicide prevention efforts. (46 refs.) JA