Weather and Suicide: the Present State of Knowledge on the Association of Meteorological Factors With Suicidal Behaviour

27 studies on the association between daily & longer-term weather data & the incidence of attempted & completed suicide were reviewed. Most papers reported a statistical association of suicidal acts with at least one weather factor. However, the results are not conclusive & in part contradictory. Possibly due to the high variance in methodological approaches, it is not possible to identify a specific weather condition associated with a generally higher risk for suicide. Weather & seasonal effects may interact with each other. Environmental effects on brain functions & weather-related interactions of people may be involved in the occurrence of suicidal behaviour. (76 refs.)