Gender disparities in mental pain as a predictor of suicidal behavior: the pilot study in at extremely high-risk population of dual diagnosis

. Although the suicide risk among adults with a dual diagnosis (DD) of schizophrenic and comorbid substance use disorders has dramatically increased, our understanding of the gender disparities in mental pain remains under-researched in this population. This study aimed to examine gender differences in both the intensity of mental pain experienced and the level of general self-efficacy, as well as to examine the correlation between the intensity of mental pain and the level of general self-efficacy. This survey was conducted among 93 DD adults (48 (51.6%) men]; 45 (48.4%) women). The mental pain intensity was significantly higher in women (mean 130.80 (SD = 28.32)) as opposed to men (mean 100.81 (SD = 29.99)). No significant differences in general self-efficacy were observed. Mental pain intensity related reciprocally to general self-efficacy in women (r = −0.55; p < 0.001), but not in men (r = −0.09; NS). The participants’ gender significantly moderated the association between general self-efficacy and mental pain intensity (R2 = 4.37%; F(1,87) = 5.77; p = 0.018; 95% CI; 2.93–31.07). The findings support the role of gender in shaping both the experience of mental pain and its interplay with general self-efficacy in this severely curtailed population.