By HealthDay

Study Shows Season, Time of Day When #SuicidalThoughts Most Likely

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

(HEALTHDAY)

While people might assume #suicide is more common in the darker months of winter, it actually peaks in spring and early summer.

Researchers investigating what’s happening have found that #suicidalthoughts peak in December but then take a few months to reach a “tipping point.” People are also most vulnerable to ending their lives between 4 and 5 a.m., according to a new study.

“It is well documented that winter is the time when people with #mentalhealthproblems may struggle with worsening mood and #depression. Indeed, #seasonalaffectivedisorder is a recognized issue related to the change in season that affects many people’s #mentalhealth,” said study co-author Brian O’Shea. He is an associate professor of #psychology at the University of Nottingham in the #UnitedKingdom.

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It may seem surprising that spring, when someone might assume people’s moods lift, is actually a time of greatest risk, he said in a university news release.

“The reasons for this are complex, but our research shows that #suicidalthoughts and mood are the worst in December and the best in June," O'Shea said.

"Between these two points, there is a heightened risk of #suicidalbehavior, and we feel this is occurring because the gradual improvements in their mood and energy may enable them to plan and engage in a #suicideattempt,” he explained.

For the study, more than 10,000 people in the #UnitedStates, #Canada and the #UnitedKingdom completed questionnaires and tasks about their moods and thoughts around #suicide and #self-harm over a six-year period.

The researchers created online tasks to examine explicit and implicit #self-harm thoughts, using direct questions about mood, #suicide and #self-harm. Among the tasks, participants were asked to sort words relating to the self in real-time using death and life words.

Respondents were divided into three groups: those who had previously attempted #suicide; those who had #suicidalthoughts or non-suicidal #self-injury; and those with no previous #self-harm, #suicidalthoughts or #behaviors.

Over the six years, the investigators found a general increase in thoughts of #self-harm. The season had an impact on mood and the desire to die, especially in those who had previously attempted #suicide, the findings showed.

Explicit #suicidalthoughts peaked in December, while implicit (or unconscious) #self-harm associations peaked in February. Both preceded the peak of #suicidalbehavior in spring and early summer.

“This study is the first to look at temporal trends around mood and #self-harm thoughts on such a large scale, and really pinpoints times when intervention could be most beneficial,” O’Shea said.

The study findings were published online May 12 in Translational Psychiatry.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/2023/06/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-study-shows-season-time-of-day-when-suicidalthoughts-most-likely/