en other Orginal research <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Background:</i></b></span> Suicidal ideation persists as a pressing public health concern, especially in women. Dysfunctional defense mechanisms and their complex interplay with emotional and cognitive processes warrant further scholarly investigation. &nbsp;<br> <span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Objectives:</i></b></span> This study investigates the mediating roles of psychological pain and difficulties in emotion regulation in the relationship between defense mechanisms and suicidal ideation in women.<br> <span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Method:</i></b></span> This descriptive-correlational study used structural equation modeling to examine direct and indirect pathways in women with suicidal ideation from Karaj counseling centers (2024). A convenience sample of 350 participants (mean age = 32.0 years, SD = 7.8) completed the Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (immature/dysfunctional subscale), Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Mental Pain Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Data analysis used SPSS-27 and AMOS-27. The study received ethics approval, included informed consent, and high-risk participants (BSSI &ge;17) were referred to crisis services.<br> <span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Results:</i></b> </span>Findings indicated a significant direct effect of dysfunctional defense mechanisms on suicidal ideation (&beta;=0.22, p<0.001). Psychological pain (&beta;=0.15, 95% CI [0.10, 0.20], p<0.001) and difficulties in emotion regulation (&beta;=0.10, 95% CI [0.05, 0.15], p<0.001) partially mediated this relationship, with the direct effect remaining significant, confirmed through 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The model exhibited strong fit (CFI=0.92, TLI=0.91, RMSEA=0.06), underscoring the mediators&rsquo; salience in suicidal ideation. &nbsp;<br> <span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Conclusion:</i></b></span> This study highlights the need for multidimensional interventions targeting dysfunctional defenses, psychological pain, and emotion regulation to prevent and treat suicidal ideation in women.</span></span></span></div> Suicidal Ideation, Psychological Pain, Emotion Regulation, Defense Mechanisms, Women 32 41 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1048-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Sahar Malehmir Chegini malehmircheginis@gmail.com 100319475328460014422 100319475328460014422 No Department of Psychology, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran Nahid Havasi Soomar havasin2020@gmail.com 100319475328460014423 100319475328460014423 Yes Department of Psychology, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran Maryam Gholami Tooran Poshti gholamitooranposhtim@gmail.com 100319475328460014424 100319475328460014424 No Department of Psychology, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran