The effect of seasonal changes and climatic factors on suicide attempts of young people

BMC Psychiatry

Matthaeus Willeit¹  Benjamin Vyssoki¹  Dietmar Winkler¹  Nestor D. Kapusta²  Zeliha Özlü-Erkilic³  Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci³  Georg Dorffner⁴ 

[1] Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna;Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna;Outpatient Clinic of Transcultural Psychiatry and Migration Induced Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna;Section of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna;

关键词: Suicide attempts;    Adolescents;    Seasonal changes;    Climatic variations;    Temperature;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-017-1532-7

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Seasonal changes and climatic factors like ambient temperature, sunlight duration and rainfall can influence suicidal behavior. Methods This study analyses the relationship between seasonal changes and climatic variations and suicide attempts in 2131 young patients in Istanbul, Turkey. Results In 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. Conclusions This 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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown