Suicide ideation among the homeless is 10 times more common than in the general population. Cognitive theories of depression and hopelessness propose to explain suicidality; however, as yet, none of these fully account for the phenomenon. Shneidman has suggested a theory of psychache or unbearable psychological pain to explain suicidality. This theory has found support among low-risk populations but has not been extensively tested within a high-risk population.

The current research assessed the utility of psychache among men who are homeless (N = 97). In support of Shneidman’s theory, analyses revealed that psychache was a stronger predictor of suicide ideation than was depression, hopelessness, or life meaning.