The Effect of Season and Weather on Suicide Rates in the Elderly in British Columbia

The authors examined the relationship of suicide in the elderly (65 & over) to season & weather & compared it to that in the younger population (10-64 years). They found that whereas younger suicides were associated with season, showing a spring-summer peak, elderly suicides were associated with actual weather, increasing with higher mean daily temperature for the current month & with lower mean daily temperature for the preceding 3 months. Thus elderly suicide rates appear to be affected by deviations of monthly mean temperature from values expected for that time of year. (41 refs)