Year: 2002 Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, v.106, no.4, (October 2002), p.299-302 SIEC No: 20080773

The seasonal distribution of suicide in alcohol dependence was investigated & a comparison was made with unnatural death in alcoholism & suicide in other diagnostic groups. 1312 patients with alcohol dependence admitted to hospital in Lund during 1949-1969 were studied. When followed up to 1997, a total of 102 (99 men) alcoholic patients had died by suicide. Reference groups were patients with severe depression & autopsy cases with other diagnoses. The alcohol patients showed a peak during the second quarter of the year. Other diagnostic groups of suicide & unnatural death in alcoholism did not show any overrepresentation in the spring. (34 refs.)