Temporal Fluctuations and Seasonality in Attempted Suicide in Europe: Findings From the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide

The temporal variations in attempted suicide were studied using data on 13,553 suicide attempts by persons aged 15 years & over from 13 centres in the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide mainly in the 3-year period 1990-1992. The seasonal pattern for attempted suicide was similar to that for completions with a spring peak & a nadir in December, but only in females. The peak day for attempted suicide was Sunday with the fewest attempts occuring on Friday, again statistically significant only in females. The peak time for attempts was the late evening in contrast to completions which are most frequent in the daytime. This finding is particularly relevant to prevention, especially the availability of telephone helplines & other sources of help for persons in crisis. (26 refs.)