Resource Tag: TIME OF SUICIDE. HOLIDAYS

In a total of 22,169 parasuicides over 19 years, there was evidence for a seasonal cycle in parasuicide admissions among women, with an increase during the summer & a fall over the winter, including a pronounced December nadir. Further analysis of the winter trough suggests a sociological explanation, the focal point being Christmas. There was […]

This work examined the relationship between traditional national holidays & suicide. Using a base of 13,651 cases, only for Christmas was there a statistically significant suppressing effect on suicide. For all 4 of the holidays examined there were fewer than the expected number of suicides during the week before & centered on the holiday. The […]

The date of death was compared with the date of injury for 42,698 California suicides, 1973-85. Findings revealed that 92.6% of the suicides occurred within one day of the injury date. Graphs of daily suicides by injury date & by death date display essentially identical patterns around the holidays, day of the week, & after […]

Suicidologists have tried to test the possibilities for relationships between the occurrence of suicide & temporal or meteorological variables. An examination of this research reveals that weather, holidays, moon phases & sunspots do not seem related to the suicide rate. Some seasonal variation seems possible, & a relationship to the time of day seems fairly […]

This brief article discusses several recent studies which have examined widely held beliefs in the phenomena of holiday & winter depression. The beliefs were found to be contrary to empirical data. Implications are included. (LH)

To study the fluctuation of suicides around the holidays, 188,047 U.S. suicides from 1973 to 1979 were examined. Suicides dropped by an annual average of -102.5 in the period surrounding the holidays. Almost all demographic groups experienced a low risk of suicide around the holidays, thus, the evidence does not support the widespread popular assumption […]

This study shows that homicide rates are generally higher on all of the major national holidays, while suicide rates are generally lower on all except New Year’s Day.

This study was designed to investigate the possible relationship between completed suicides, depressive disorders, & seasonal variation. Observed distribution of suicides was not significantly higher for special holidays, weekdays vs. weekends, months or seasons, but was for days of the week (highest on Mondays). There were no significant correlations of climatic variables with completed suicides. […]

In this study of all of the violent deaths in the US over 2 years, clear monthly & daily variations were found. Suicide peaked in the Spring & Fall; homicide in July & December. Suicide was more common on Mondays; homicide on Saturdays & Sundays. Homicide was more common on national holidays, while suicide tended […]

Active-duty navy personnel with record of “death by own hand” between 1966 & 1977 were identified. The resulting sample contained 549 Navy Personnel, 542 men & 7 women. Given their small number, women were excluded from the analysis. Results found no siginificant differences for any of the 4 temporal variables investigated (season, month, day, national […]

Using time series regression analysis, this chapter systematically examines the impact of day of the week, month, & holidays on certain types of daily U.S. mortality: teenage suicide, adult suicide, teenage auto accident fatalities & adult auto accident fatalities. Teenage suicides differ markedly from the remaining 3 groups in their response to the temporal factors […]

Analyzes the recorded number of US daily suicides during 1972-6. Data indicate that there was a dip in suicides on & just before major public holidays; there was a peak in suicides just after these holidays; & the dip was somewhat larger than the peak — hence there was a net decrease in suicides around […]

Suicides in New Jersey in 1970 & in Philadelphia in 1972 & attempted suicides at Philadelphia General Hospital in 1971 & 1972 were examined on 28 holidays. No difference in the suicide rate on holidays & on other days was found, although a tendency for attempted suicides on holidays may exist. However, when only major […]

A review of the effects of weather upon physical functioning precedes a demographic study of suicide in relationship to weather. In general, suicide attempts were more frequent in females; completed suicide was more common in males; suicide attempts were more common in the young; & the birthdays of those completing suicide differed from the norm. […]