Abstract
BackgroundSeasonal changes and climatic factors like ambient temperature, sunlight duration and rainfall can influence suicidal behavior.MethodsThis study analyses the relationship between seasonal changes and climatic variations and suicide attempts in 2131 young patients in Istanbul, Turkey.ResultsIn our study sample, there was an association between suicide attempts in youths and seasonal changes, as suicide attempts occurred most frequently during summer in females as well as in males. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the mean temperature over the past 10 days and temperature at the index day and suicide attempts in females. After seasonality effects were mathematically removed, the mean temperature 10 days before a suicide attempt remained significant in males only, indicating a possible short-term influence of temperature on suicide attempts.ConclusionsThis study shows an association between suicide attempts of young people and climatic changes, in particular temperature changes as well as seasonal changes. Therefore, the influence of seasonal changes and climatic factors on young suicide attempters should get more attention in research to understand the biopsychosocial mechanisms playing a role in suicide attempts of young people. As suicide attempts most frequently occur in young people, further research is of considerable clinical importance.
Highlights
Seasonal changes and climatic factors like ambient temperature, sunlight duration and rainfall can influence suicidal behavior
Conclusions there were no gender differences in the seasonality of suicide attempts, there was an association between suicide attempts and seasons in the present study sample, as suicide attempts of young people most frequently occurred in summer
In concordance to these results, previous studies have shown an association between seasons and suicide attempts [39, 40] as well as completed suicides [41]
Summary
Seasonal changes and climatic factors like ambient temperature, sunlight duration and rainfall can influence suicidal behavior. Seasonal effects are known to influence the frequency of committed suicides throughout the year as well as the number of suicide attempts [1, 2]. Studies could further show an effect of climatic factors on suicide attempts [3, 5,6,7], as well as on completed suicides [3, 8, 9]. Temperature, humidity [4], the length of the day and intensity of sunlight [1, 3, 4] were found to influence suicidal behavior in large population-based studies.
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