Seasonal Variation in Suicide in a Predominantly Caucasian Tropical/Subtropical Region of Australia

Cantor, Chris; Hickey, Portia Adams; Leo, Diego De

doi:10.1159/000029162

Cited by 26 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…It should be emphasized that the annual pattern in the total number of deaths, independent of cause, differed from that of death due to suicide: the peak of the former occurred in all three areas of Brazil during the autumn and/ or winter. The seasonal variation of suicide rates in the south of Brazil, with a significant peak in late spring/early summer, is like that in the northern (Eastwood & Peacocke, 1976;Fossey & Shapiro, 1992;Goodwin & Jamison, 1990) and southern (Cantor et al, 2000;Flisher et al, 1998;Heerlein et al, 2006;Lambert et al, 2003;Lester, 1991;Parker & Walter, 1982;Retamal et al, 1997;Rock et al, 2003) hemispheres. Geophysical and climatic conditions might therefore play a role in the determination of such variations, independent of hemisphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In the northern hemisphere, the seasonal suicide incidence has been reported to have one peak in spring for men and two peaks, one in spring and the other in autumn, for women (Eastwood & Peacocke, 1976;Hakko et al, 1998a;Meares et al, 1981;Parker & Walter, 1982). In Australia, an autumn trough for women and a spring/early summer peak for males has been reported (Cantor et al, 2000). However, one peak in spring or summer, without sex differences, has also been found in the United States (Lester & Frank, 1988) and Hong Kong and Taiwan (Ho et al, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Seasonal Variation of Suicide in Brazil

Benedito‐Silva

Pires

Calil

2007

Chronobiology International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Most of what is known about the seasonal variation in suicide rate originates from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere; very few studies have been done in the southern hemisphere. The purpose of the present study was to explore the possibility that in Brazil, the seasonal variation of suicides is a function of photoperiod. This was accomplished by analyzing monthly suicide data for a 12 yr period (1979 to 1990), within latitudes ranging from 2 degrees N to 33 degrees S. Single cosinor analyses with periods of 12 or 6 months were applied to time series of monthly total and suicidal deaths, separated by gender and state. Significant spring or early summer peaks of suicide were found only in the south of Brazil for both men and women, except for the latter in one state. These peaks did not coincide with those found for total deaths, which occurred in the autumn or winter in all areas. No significant six-month period was found. In the present study, the chance of a suicide was typically 10-17% higher during the peak period than during the other months of the year. Although this moderate seasonal effect might not be sufficient to justify planning large scale prophylactic interventions, those dealing with patients who have suicide ideation should be aware of this high risk time.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Variation of Suicide in Brazil

Benedito‐Silva

Pires

Calil

2007

Chronobiology International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has been hypothesized that increased suicide risk in persons with allergy may share a link with the wellestablished seasonality of suicide, with peaks in suicide mortality during spring time (when aeroallergens are at their highest) being reported consistently in the literature. 32,33 Reasons for this may be that increased pollen in the air during spring causes sensitized people Copyright (c) Oceanside Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. For permission to copy go to https://www.oceansidepubl.com/permission.htm to feel unwell and triggers the immune-related expression of inflammatory cytokines, which may be responsible for feelings of anxiety, depression, aggression, and sleep disturbances.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allergies and suicidal behaviors: A systematic literature review

Kõlves

Barker²,

Leo³

2015

allergy asthma proc

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In an equatorial region, Parker et al [14] found no seasonal patterning of suicidal deaths. However, Cantor et al [15] studied seasonal variations of suicides in a Caucasian population living relatively close to the equator. They found a spring/early summer peak, but not a secondary autumn peak for males.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Variation in Suicidal Deaths in Chile: Its Relationship to Latitude

Heerlein¹,

Valeria²,

Medina³

2006

Psychopathology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Studies in the northern and southern hemispheres consistently identified seasonal influences on monthly and semester suicide distribution. The variations of sunlight exposure in zones of increasing latitude has been suggested as one of the most plausible explanations for this phenomenon. Some recent studies in the northern hemisphere could not find seasonal asymmetries of suicides. The current study examines the monthly, seasonal and semester distribution of suicidal deaths in Chile and the influence of seasons in zones of low latitude as compared with regions of high or very high latitude, trying to determine if a seasonal pattern still exists in a country of the southern hemisphere. Methods: Monthly, seasonal and semester suicidal data over the period 1995–1999 were examined for the whole sample and for gender-specific subgroups in Chile. Four different latitudinal zones were analyzed separately, in order to investigate the effect of the photoperiod on suicide distribution. Results were analyzed by χ² tests for multinomials, as an overall measure of deviation. Results: We found a significant unimodal springtime peak for both genders in the global territory. Among the 4,710 male and 829 female suicides reported in this period there were no gender differences in the seasonal pattern of suicidal deaths. When divided into four different latitudinal zones, the regions with low latitude (north of the country) showed no significant differences, while central and southern zones (higher latitude) show a significant springtime pattern. In the extreme south of the country, no significant differences were found, probably due to the very small number of cases. Conclusion: The study confirms the existence of a unimodal springtime peak of suicides in Chile, but not in the zone of low latitude. Results support the notion that the seasonal impact on suicidal distribution is a function of photoperiod.

show abstract

Seasonal Variation in Suicide in a Predominantly Caucasian Tropical/Subtropical Region of Australia

Cited by 26 publications

References 10 publications

Seasonal Variation of Suicide in Brazil

Seasonal Variation of Suicide in Brazil

Allergies and suicidal behaviors: A systematic literature review

Seasonal Variation in Suicidal Deaths in Chile: Its Relationship to Latitude

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About