Even though the "winter blues" may disappear with warmer weather,
suicide rates peak during the spring and summer months. A new study
examined suicide rates over a 10-year period in Victoria, Australia and
found a link between the length of the day and the number of
suicides.
Other weather conditions, such as temperature and rainfall, were
not linked to a change in the rate of suicides, according to Gavin
Lambert, Ph.D., author of the study and colleagues at the Baker Heart
Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. But the reason for the
season-suicide connection remains unclear. The study was published in
this April's American Journal of Psychiatry.
Lambert suggests a chemical component in the relationship. Other
studies have shown that sunlight increases levels of the neurotransmitter
serotonin, a chemical implicated in many processes of the body, including
sleep, pain and mood disorders. And a lack of serotonin has been linked
to increased suicide rates.
The results of the study are at odds with earlier findings. Lambert
surmises that the serotonin-suicide relationship may be more complex than
once thought. As a suggestion, he offers that a change in season--thus
serotonin levels-- could put a suicidal person at risk until their mind
adjusts to the new chemical balance.
Social factors are also important. Rhoda Olkin, Ph.D., a professor
of clinical psychology at the California School of Professional
Psychology, says the increased social activities of summer may make
non-active people feel more isolated--and at greater risk of hurting
themselves.
Tags:
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