April Showers Bring May Suicides?
According to the Priory Group, a seasonal variability in suicide rates exists worldwide, with more suicides occurring in the warm, sunny days of spring and early summer than any other time of the year. In the northern hemisphere, May and June and are peak months for suicide, while the southern hemisphere sees a peak in the month of November.
No one is sure why this occurs, but scientists theorize that it has something to do with sunlight and how it affects hormones. It is well known that the shorter days of winter are associated with depression, which is called seasonal affective disorder. It is thought that perhaps when spring returns people start to feel more energetic and this enables them to carry through on suicide plans that they were previously too depressed to carry out.
Suicide Prevention Resources, a non-profit organization based in New York, describes the following suicide warning signs:
- Previous suicide attempts, "mini-attempts".
- Explicit statements of suicidal ideation or feelings.
- Development of suicidal plan, acquiring the means, "rehearsal" behavior, setting a time for the attempt.
- Self-inflicted injuries, such as cuts, burns, or head banging.
- Reckless behavior. (Besides suicide, other leading causes of death among young people in New York City are homicide, accidents, drug overdose, and AIDS.) Unexplained accidents among children and the elderly.
- Making out a will or giving away favorite possessions.
- Inappropriately saying goodbye.
- Verbal behavior that is ambiguous or indirect: "I'm going away on a real long trip.", "You won't have to worry about me anymore.", "I want to go to sleep and never wake up.", "I'm so depressed, I just can't go on.", "Does God punish suicides?", "Voices are telling me to do bad things.", requests for euthanasia information, inappropriate joking, stories or essays on morbid themes.
Comments
I have always heard that most ’suicides’ occured during the period just before Thanksgiving to New Years because people are ‘depressed’ and due to the lack of sunshine.According to the great ‘American Myth”, everyone is supposed to be happy during the Holidays. Where did you get your information???? I would really like to know.
I totally agree with A. L. Bryant. Studies have proven that approx. 80% of us are lacking Vitamin D3 due to lack of sunshine. Many psychiatrists have added this vitamin to their treatment since it can definitely lead to depression as well as body pain. I wish less money was spent on studies such as those mentioned, and used to research better meds. and possible cures for us major depressives.
I have a seventeen year old daughter with major depression and on meds for at least ten years. Every spring she slips deeper into the fog. We live in a climate where the winters are brutal. Just when the rest of us are happy to see the sun and feel the warmth, we are scrambling with her to keep her grades up and get her out of bed. We often question and/or adjust her medicine at this time of year. I have to be reminded by my husband that “we go through this every spring”. I know for some, this is accurate.
According to everything that I have read, especially related to studies done by Lindsay Hayes, there is no time of the year with any higher than normal rate for suicide. Although he did site that January and May account for 30% of all suicides (the highest correlation). I would love to find this study. Does anyone know anything about the Priory Group? And when this study was completed? Maybe this is a new study.
Also, I do know that the holidays are definitely NOT the time of the year with the most suicides. That is a myth.