Where to focus your efforts to prevent suicide this holiday season
MOST people in modern-times seem to subscribe to the idea that suicide rates dramatically increase around Christmas season, which is understandable, as it seems plausible to some that during the holiday period, a mentally ill person may be pushed over the edge by the surrounding jollity of Christmas, which “everyone but them” can partake in.
It might seem logical that some may be overwhelmed by amplified feelings of loneliness and a constant lust for happiness around this specific time of year, causing them to see only one way out of a season filled with stress, frustration and constant misery, provoked by the flaunting of communal, Christmas celebration.
You’d be forgiven for believing this common misconception too, as some media outlets inaccurately support this belief and often falsely blame suicides around the holiday period on anxiety or depression directly caused by the holidays, as proven by a study carried out by the Annenberg Public Policy Centre of the University of Pennsylvania, which analysed media portrayals of a link between suicide and the holidays.
However, many studies conclude that the suicide rate does not increase during the holidays and clearly show that people tend to be less likely to commit suicide or be committed into a psychiatric hospital during this period.
The study also examined national suicide data from 1996 and found that November and December are actually the lowest-ranked months in daily suicides.
Findings reported in 2015 in the European Journal of Public Health concur, showing about 25 percent fewer suicides around Christmastime in Austria.
Rates there were particularly low on Christmas Eve and remained so until January 1, when the most suicides of any day of the year occurred.
These studies, alongside many more, prove that the Christmastime suicide myth is fundamentally untrue.
According to clinical psychologist Martin Plöderl, there is typically more social connection for many people around the holidays, which leads to them receiving an increase in moral support and deters troublesome thoughts, thus preventing many suicides during this period.
However, it is made clear in almost all of these studies that the suicide rate skyrockets during New Year’s Eve and early January. The hint of a rebound effect around the beginning of the new year has a lot of empirical support.
According to a paper published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, suicide rates in England consistently dipped on Christmas and spiked on New Year’s Day over a 15-year study period. The findings of this study are also supported by a 2012 report from public health officials in Oregon who discovered a January rise in suicides after a December lull, which suggested that some December suicides had been intentionally “postponed” until January, possibly so that the family and friends of suicide victims could enjoy the holiday season without planned suicides negatively affecting their celebrations.
Plöderl explains that “the broken promise effect” may also be the root cause of this spike in suicides as “For depressed people, the broken promise of Christmas and the blank year lying ahead may increase hopelessness and thus suicide risk.”
Alongside this, the greater alcohol consumption that takes place on New Year’s Eve and Day may also play a role in lowering inhibitions.
This misconception needs to be addressed and debunked on a wider scale instantly, as it is innately troublesome and very dangerous. It may encourage people to primarily share their love, care and support solely on Christmas, rather than around New Year’s Eve and Day, where it is most needed according to statistics.
So, I beg you, remember to share your love and support this holiday season, carrying all of your generosity and kindness from Christmas all the way through January, to make sure those who are struggling the most receive the care they need. Stay extra vigilant for signs of depression during not only Christmas but the whole month of January, making sure none of your friends, family or acquaintances feel suddenly dropped and left behind at the beginning of the New Year. Make sure those around you know there is always help and support if they need it, and if you’re struggling yourself at any time, there is always someone who will listen.
Samaritans: 116 123.