Seasonal variations: Risk factor of commiting suicide

Abstract

Introduction. Suicide is a conscious and deliberate extermination of one?s own life. Suicidal motives can be exogenous and endogenous. Exogenous factors are those from social and economic sphere, moral and political ones. There are numerous elements: demographic, socio-pathological, clinical-psychopathological and, in recent time, seasonal variations and meteorological characteristics are considered to be significant. Aim. On the basis of the analyzed literature the aim of this paper was to show the connection among seasonal variations, frequency and suicidal features. Methods. Numerous epidemiological analyses of suicide have found a connection between suicide and seasonal variations. The connection between seasonal variations and suicide regarding the way of committing it (violent and nonviolent one) has been checked. Seasons, particularly spring and summer, have influence on suicide, which confirms the fact that suicide rate in time corresponds with seasonal variations. Results. Suicides in younger age groups of both sexes show smaller asymmetry in seasonal distribution than in older groups. Seasonal influence on suicide rate has been proved to be bigger in men than in women. As for the connection between seasonal characteristics and suicide regarding the way of committing it (violent and nonviolent suicide) most studies show that suicide, but only the violent one, is in direct connection with seasons. Annual trend shows the peak from March to May (from early to late spring) for violent suicide. Conclusion. To have knowledge about the influence of seasonal variations on committing suicide is very important for taking adequate preventive measures, especially in those countries which have high rate of suicide.