Suicide is a
specific cause of death for mental disorders: up to 90% of completed suicide has
a history of a diagnosable mental disorder.
Prevention of suicide rests on early assessment
and diagnosis of those at risk, and the delivery of appropriate, effective
treatments.
A period of the year is linked to an enhanced risk
of suicide, with a higher risk in late spring Ð early summer in most countries.
A recent study carried out by Dr Antonio Preti in
collaboration with Professor Marco B.L. Rocchi and Dr Davide Sisti, from the
Institute of Biomathematics of the University of Urbino, Italy, found a change
in the seasonality of suicides in Italy.
The study, investigating a total of 71,227 male
suicides and 26,466 female suicides occurring in Italy from 1974 to 2003,
identified an anticipation of the spring peak in both males and females over
time, with amplitude increasing or decreasing as a function of yearly suicide
rates.
These changes in the monthly distribution of
suicides in Italy could be a reflection of climate changes, as observed in
recent years.
The rise in average temperatures reported in
Italy, as elsewhere, may correlate as well to greater sunlight exposure, which
could be the real trigger of the increasing occurrence of suicides during the
hotter months of the year observed in this study, independently from the
health-damaging effect of hot temperature on the bodies harmed by self-injuring
behaviour.
References:
Rocchi MBL,
Sisti D, Cascio MT, Preti A
Seasonality and
suicide in Italy: Amplitude is positively related to suicide rates. Journal of
Affective Disorders, 2007; 100: 129-136.
Preti A
Seasonal
variation and meteotropism in suicide. Clinical relevance of findings and
implications for research
Acta
Neuropsychiatrica, 2002; 14: 17-28.
Contacts:
Dr Antonio
Preti
SchizophreniaProject
e-mail: apreti@tin.it