EPA-0537 – Barratt impulsiveness scale as a possible marker of seasonality in suicide attempts

Abstract

In 2011, 3.429 people committed suicide in Spain. It is currently the first cause of unnatural death is this country, ahead of road traffic accidents. Seasonality in consummated suicides has been well established in the literature. Consistently, suicides employing violent methods have been described to have higher seasonal variations than non-violent suicides. Violent suicide methods have been associated with a higher level of lifetime aggression and higher levels of impulsivity. The literature is scarcer regarding seasonality in suicide attempts, although, to a lesser extent, seasonal patterns have also been described. It has been argued that, due to the lower prevalence of violent methods in attempted suicides, it is not surprising to find a weaker seasonal effect. In this study, we aim to determine whether impulsivity is related to a higher seasonal variation in suicide attempts. Our goal is to measure the impact of seasonality (attempts by month of the year) in suicide attempts by subjects with higher impulsivity levels, as measured by Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, when compared to subjects with lower impulsivity levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study that assesses the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale a possible marker of seasonality in suicide attempts, which could help identify patients that have greater risk during certain months of the year.