Abstract: As an important concept in the field of social cognitive psychology and disaster psychology, psychological pain has been given a surge of interest in the west over the past decade. This review provides a critical synthesis of empirical studies from a broad perspective, including the definition and existing evidences of psychological pain, how it was measured and related with physical pain and suicide. Further studies should not only focus on the method diversification, but also on cross-cultural studies, aiming to construct an interventional mechanism to remove or relieve psychological pain. It is also worthwhile to pay attention to the significance of psychological pain studies on the individual survival, adaptation, and development

Key words: psychological pain, social cognition, physical pain, suicide