A Suicide Peak After Weekends and Holidays in Patients With Alcohol Dependence

This paper analyzes the variation of suicide by day of the week in alcohol dependence, with public holidays taken into consideration. From 1949 through 1969, 1312 patients with alcohol dependence were admitted to the Department of Psychiatry in Lund. By 1997, a total of 102 alcoholic patients had taken their own life. Suicide victims with severe depression & other diagnoses were compared. There was a suicide peak on the first 2 days after weekends & holidays in patients with alcohol dependence. Possible explanations are explored. (26 refs)