The new finding has identified the month when people have the most suicidal thoughts is March, and these ideas emerge a few months before the peak of suicide behaviors in spring/early summer. It also revealed that the daily peak in suicidal thoughts occurs between 4-5 am.
Most people believe that suicide rates are higher in the winter, however, spring/early summer is when suicidal behaviors peak, and this finding has perplexed researchers since it was discovered.
The seasonal paths of suicidal thoughts were examined by researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology, who collaborated with the University of Amsterdam and Harvard University to identify when suicidal thoughts peak during the year and what time of day these thoughts are the worst.
The findings were published today in the journal Nature Translational Psychiatry.
Over a period of six years, responses were collected from over 10,000 persons in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada who completed questionnaires and tasks regarding their moods and thoughts, and ideas about suicide and self-harm using the Project Implicit Health Database (PIH).
The researchers, Brian O’Shea, and Rene Freichel reveal that suicidal thoughts peak in winter (December), and they built a conceptual model for why suicidal behavior takes a few months to reach a ‘tipping point’. They also discovered that the hours of 4 am-6 am are when people are most prone to commit suicide.
Furthermore, they discovered an overall increase in negative self-harm cognitions during the course of the six-year study.
The lead author at the University of Nottingham, Dr. Brian O’Shea said, “It is well documented that winter is the time when people with mental health problems may struggle with worsening mood and depression, indeed Seasonal Affective Disorder is a recognized issue related to the change in season that affects many people’s mental health”.
He further said, “So, it may come as a surprise that spring, a time when you would assume people’s mood lifts, is actually the time of year when people are most at risk of taking their own lives”.
“The reasons for this are complex, but our research shows that suicidal thoughts and mood are the worst in December and the best in June”, he continued.
“Between these two points, there is a heightened risk of suicidal behavior, and we feel this is occurring because the gradual improvements in their mood and energy may enable them to plan and engage in a suicide attempt. The relative comparison between the self and others’ mood improving at a perceived greater rate are complementary possibilities that need further testing”, he added.
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