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Radua J, De Prisco M, Oliva V, Fico G, Vieta E, Fusar-Poli P. Impact of air pollution and climate change on mental health outcomes: an umbrella review of global evidence. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:244-256. [PMID: 38727076 PMCID: PMC11083864 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The impact of air pollution and climate change on mental health has recently raised strong concerns. However, a comprehensive overview analyzing the existing evidence while addressing relevant biases is lacking. This umbrella review systematically searched the PubMed/Medline, Scopus and PsycINFO databases (up to June 26, 2023) for any systematic review with meta-analysis investigating the association of air pollution or climate change with mental health outcomes. We used the R metaumbrella package to calculate and stratify the credibility of the evidence according to criteria (i.e., convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, or weak) that address several biases, complemented by sensitivity analyses. We included 32 systematic reviews with meta-analysis that examined 284 individual studies and 237 associations of exposures to air pollution or climate change hazards and mental health outcomes. Most associations (n=195, 82.3%) involved air pollution, while the rest (n=42, 17.7%) regarded climate change hazards (mostly focusing on temperature: n=35, 14.8%). Mental health outcomes in most associations (n=185, 78.1%) involved mental disorders, followed by suicidal behavior (n=29, 12.4%), access to mental health care services (n=9, 3.7%), mental disorders-related symptomatology (n=8, 3.3%), and multiple categories together (n=6, 2.5%). Twelve associations (5.0%) achieved convincing (class I) or highly suggestive (class II) evidence. Regarding exposures to air pollution, there was convincing (class I) evidence for the association between long-term exposure to solvents and a higher incidence of dementia or cognitive impairment (odds ratio, OR=1.139), and highly suggestive (class II) evidence for the association between long-term exposure to some pollutants and higher risk for cognitive disorders (higher incidence of dementia with high vs. low levels of carbon monoxide, CO: OR=1.587; higher incidence of vascular dementia per 1 μg/m3 increase of nitrogen oxides, NOx: hazard ratio, HR=1.004). There was also highly suggestive (class II) evidence for the association between exposure to airborne particulate matter with diameter ≤10 μm (PM10) during the second trimester of pregnancy and the incidence of post-partum depression (OR=1.023 per 1 μg/m3 increase); and for the association between short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and schizophrenia relapse (risk ratio, RR=1.005 and 1.004 per 1 μg/m3 increase, respectively 5 and 7 days after exposure). Regarding climate change hazards, there was highly suggestive (class II) evidence for the association between short-term exposure to increased temperature and suicide- or mental disorders-related mortality (RR=1.024), suicidal behavior (RR=1.012), and hospital access (i.e., hospitalization or emergency department visits) due to suicidal behavior or mental disorders (RR=1.011) or mental disorders only (RR=1.009) (RR values per 1°C increase). There was also highly suggestive (class II) evidence for the association between short-term exposure to increased apparent temperature (i.e., the temperature equivalent perceived by humans) and suicidal behavior (RR=1.01 per 1°C increase). Finally, there was highly suggestive (class II) evidence for the association between the temporal proximity of cyclone exposure and severity of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (r=0.275). Although most of the above associations were small in magnitude, they extend to the entire world population, and are therefore likely to have a substantial impact. This umbrella review classifies and quantifies for the first time the global negative impacts that air pollution and climate change can exert on mental health, identifying evidence-based targets that can inform future research and population health actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquim Radua
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michele De Prisco
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Oliva
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giovanna Fico
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Outreach and Support in South-London (OASIS) service, South London and Maudlsey NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Karstila H, Ruuhela R, Rajala R, Roivainen P. Recognition of climate-related risks for prehospital emergency medical service and emergency department in Finland - A Delphi study. Int Emerg Nurs 2024; 73:101421. [PMID: 38382410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ienj.2024.101421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency departments (ED) and prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) will experience new or increasing challenges due to the changing climate. The aims of this study was to add knowledge about these challenges in Finland and to help EMS and ED operators to prepare for the effects of climate change. METHODS A two-round Delphi study was conducted. Ten participants expressed their views of climate change-related challenges currently and in the future, and how to prepare for challenges ahead. First-round questions based on the literature search about the climate-related impacts on EMS and ED. The stage one data was analysed by thematic analysis, which generated the second-round survey where the probability of the statements was estimated. RESULTS Various climate change-related challenges were recognized such as negative health impacts, the increased workload, difficulties with the EMS operations and problems with the functions of society. Preparation of action plans was considered important in case for incidents and emergencies. CONCLUSION The study indicated that climate change may cause various challenges for EMS and ED in Finland. To meet the future challenges, it is important to identify potential future risks and create plans to manage them. Further studies are needed to create climate resilient healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heini Karstila
- School of Health and Social Care, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Kiviharjuntie 4, 90220 Oulu, Finland.
| | - Reija Ruuhela
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Raija Rajala
- School of Health and Social Care, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Kiviharjuntie 4, 90220 Oulu, Finland.
| | - Petri Roivainen
- School of Health and Social Care, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Kiviharjuntie 4, 90220 Oulu, Finland.
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Lo CH, Liao CH, Tan ST, Su YJ. Differences of chronological seasonality in drug overdose. J Int Med Res 2023; 51:3000605231192779. [PMID: 37632450 PMCID: PMC10926412 DOI: 10.1177/03000605231192779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between seasonality and intentional drug overdose (IDO), a commonly seen method of self-harm in daily emergency medicine practice. METHODS Cases of IDO were retrospectively selected using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 coding system (codes T36-T50), in patients who attended the Emergency Department of MacKay Memorial Hospital between January 2018 and August 2019. Data regarding age, sex, arrival time, marital status, vital signs, comorbidities, psychiatric history, social conflicts, substance of overdose, and length of hospital stay by season, were analysed using Student's t-test and χ2-test. RESULTS Of all included cases (n = 196), IDO occurred most frequently in spring (32.1%), particularly in male patients (28/49 male cases). First-time IDO occurred most frequently in spring (51/133 first-time cases) and most spring cases were first-time IDO (51/63 spring cases). Repeat IDO occurred most frequently in autumn (20/63 repeat cases). Female conflict with father and/or boyfriend, and personality disorder in patients who overdosed, showed seasonality with a spring peak. Hospital admission rate was highest in winter (10/45 winter cases [22.2%]). CONCLUSION Episodes of IDO exhibited seasonality, with a spring peak, particularly for male patients, female patients in conflict with father and/or boyfriend, and those with personality disorder. Clinicians should pay close attention to the abovementioned patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hung Lo
- Emergency Department, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Hao Liao
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Tamshui Branch, Mackay Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Teck Tan
- Emergency Department, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Toxicology Division, Emergency Department, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jang Su
- Emergency Department, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Toxicology Division, Emergency Department, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, MacKay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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Corvetto JF, Helou AY, Dambach P, Müller T, Sauerborn R. A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Climate Change on the Global Demand for Psychiatric Services. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1190. [PMID: 36673946 PMCID: PMC9858749 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Climate Change (CC) imposes important global health risks, including on mental health (MH). They are related mostly to psychological suffering caused by climate-related events and to the heat-vulnerability caused by psychiatric disorders. This growing burden may press MH services worldwide, increasing demand on public and private systems in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. According to PRISMA, two independent reviewers searched four databases for papers published before May 2022 that associated climate-related events with healthcare demand for psychiatric conditions. Of the 7432 papers retrieved, we included 105. Only 29 were carried out in low- and middle-income countries. Twelve related the admission numbers to (i) extreme events, while 93 to (ii) meteorological factors-mostly heat. Emergency visits and hospitalizations were significantly higher during hot periods for MH disorders, especially until lag 5-7. Extreme events also caused more consultations. Suicide (completed or attempted), substance misuse, schizophrenia, mood, organic and neurotic disorders, and mortality were strongly affected by CC. This high healthcare demand is evidence of the burden patients may undergo. In addition, public and private services may face a shortage of financial and human resources. Finally, the increased use of healthcare facilities, in turn, intensifies greenhouse gas emissions, representing a self-enforcing cycle for CC. Further research is needed to better clarify how extreme events affect MH services and, in addition, if services in low- and middle-income countries are more intensely demanded by CC, as compared to richer countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Feriato Corvetto
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ammir Yacoub Helou
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Peter Dambach
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Private Clinic Meiringen, 3860 Meiringen, Switzerland
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, 3000 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Sauerborn
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Lawrance EL, Thompson R, Newberry Le Vay J, Page L, Jennings N. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence, and its Implications. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:443-498. [PMID: 36165756 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2128725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Converging global evidence highlights the dire consequences of climate change for human mental health and wellbeing. This paper summarises literature across relevant disciplines to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the multiple pathways through which climate change interacts with mental health and wellbeing. Climate change acts as a risk amplifier by disrupting the conditions known to support good mental health, including socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, and living and working conditions. The disruptive influence of rising global temperatures and extreme weather events, such as experiencing a heatwave or water insecurity, compounds existing stressors experienced by individuals and communities. This has deleterious effects on people's mental health and is particularly acute for those groups already disadvantaged within and across countries. Awareness and experiences of escalating climate threats and climate inaction can generate understandable psychological distress; though strong emotional responses can also motivate climate action. We highlight opportunities to support individuals and communities to cope with and act on climate change. Consideration of the multiple and interconnected pathways of climate impacts and their influence on mental health determinants must inform evidence-based interventions. Appropriate action that centres climate justice can reduce the current and future mental health burden, while simultaneously improving the conditions that nurture wellbeing and equality. The presented evidence adds further weight to the need for decisive climate action by decision makers across all scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Lawrance
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, UK.,Mental Health Innovations, UK.,Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
| | | | | | - Lisa Page
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, UK
| | - Neil Jennings
- Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
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Bauer M, Glenn T, Achtyes ED, Alda M, Agaoglu E, Altınbaş K, Andreassen OA, Angelopoulos E, Ardau R, Vares EA, Aydin M, Ayhan Y, Baethge C, Bauer R, Baune BT, Balaban C, Becerra-Palars C, Behere AP, Behere PB, Belete H, Belete T, Belizario GO, Bellivier F, Belmaker RH, Benedetti F, Berk M, Bersudsky Y, Bicakci Ş, Birabwa-Oketcho H, Bjella TD, Brady C, Cabrera J, Cappucciati M, Castro AMP, Chen WL, Cheung EYW, Chiesa S, Crowe M, Cuomo A, Dallaspezia S, Del Zompo M, Desai P, Dodd S, Donix M, Etain B, Fagiolini A, Fellendorf FT, Ferensztajn-Rochowiak E, Fiedorowicz JG, Fountoulakis KN, Frye MA, Geoffroy PA, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Gottlieb JF, Grof P, Haarman BCM, Harima H, Hasse-Sousa M, Henry C, Høffding L, Houenou J, Imbesi M, Isometsä ET, Ivkovic M, Janno S, Johnsen S, Kapczinski F, Karakatsoulis GN, Kardell M, Kessing LV, Kim SJ, König B, Kot TL, Koval M, Kunz M, Lafer B, Landén M, Larsen ER, Lenger M, Lewitzka U, Licht RW, Lopez-Jaramillo C, MacKenzie A, Madsen HØ, Madsen SAKA, Mahadevan J, Mahardika A, Manchia M, Marsh W, Martinez-Cengotitabengoa M, Martiny K, Mashima Y, McLoughlin DM, Meesters Y, Melle I, Meza-Urzúa F, Ming MY, Monteith S, Moorthy M, Morken G, Mosca E, Mozzhegorov AA, Munoz R, Mythri SV, Nacef F, Nadella RK, Nakanotani T, Nielsen RE, O'Donovan C, Omrani A, Osher Y, Ouali U, Pantovic-Stefanovic M, Pariwatcharakul P, Petite J, Pfennig A, Ruiz YP, Pilhatsch M, Pinna M, Pompili M, Porter R, Quiroz D, Rabelo-da-Ponte FD, Ramesar R, Rasgon N, Ratta-Apha W, Ratzenhofer M, Redahan M, Reddy MS, Reif A, Reininghaus EZ, Richards JG, Ritter P, Rybakowski JK, Sathyaputri L, Scippa ÂM, Simhandl C, Severus E, Smith D, Smith J, Stackhouse PW, Stein DJ, Stilwell K, Strejilevich S, Su KP, Subramaniam M, Sulaiman AH, Suominen K, Tanra AJ, Tatebayashi Y, Teh WL, Tondo L, Torrent C, Tuinstra D, Uchida T, Vaaler AE, Veeh J, Vieta E, Viswanath B, Yoldi-Negrete M, Yalcinkaya OK, Young AH, Zgueb Y, Whybrow PC. Variations in seasonal solar insolation are associated with a history of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2021; 9:26. [PMID: 34467430 PMCID: PMC8408297 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-021-00231-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bipolar disorder is associated with circadian disruption and a high risk of suicidal behavior. In a previous exploratory study of patients with bipolar I disorder, we found that a history of suicide attempts was associated with differences between winter and summer levels of solar insolation. The purpose of this study was to confirm this finding using international data from 42% more collection sites and 25% more countries. Methods Data analyzed were from 71 prior and new collection sites in 40 countries at a wide range of latitudes. The analysis included 4876 patients with bipolar I disorder, 45% more data than previously analyzed. Of the patients, 1496 (30.7%) had a history of suicide attempt. Solar insolation data, the amount of the sun’s electromagnetic energy striking the surface of the earth, was obtained for each onset location (479 locations in 64 countries). Results This analysis confirmed the results of the exploratory study with the same best model and slightly better statistical significance. There was a significant inverse association between a history of suicide attempts and the ratio of mean winter insolation to mean summer insolation (mean winter insolation/mean summer insolation). This ratio is largest near the equator which has little change in solar insolation over the year, and smallest near the poles where the winter insolation is very small compared to the summer insolation. Other variables in the model associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts were a history of alcohol or substance abuse, female gender, and younger birth cohort. The winter/summer insolation ratio was also replaced with the ratio of minimum mean monthly insolation to the maximum mean monthly insolation to accommodate insolation patterns in the tropics, and nearly identical results were found. All estimated coefficients were significant at p < 0.01. Conclusion A large change in solar insolation, both between winter and summer and between the minimum and maximum monthly values, may increase the risk of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder. With frequent circadian rhythm dysfunction and suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder, greater understanding of the optimal roles of daylight and electric lighting in circadian entrainment is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Tasha Glenn
- ChronoRecord Association, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Eric D Achtyes
- Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Martin Alda
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Esen Agaoglu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kürşat Altınbaş
- Department of Psychiatry, Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, Mazhar Osman Mood Center, Konya, Turkey
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elias Angelopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Capodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Raffaella Ardau
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Edgar Arrua Vares
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Memduha Aydin
- Department of Psychiatry, Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
| | - Yavuz Ayhan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Christopher Baethge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne Medical School, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rita Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Munster, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ceylan Balaban
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Aniruddh P Behere
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Michigan State University-CHM, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Prakash B Behere
- Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University), Wardha, India
| | - Habte Belete
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tilahun Belete
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Gabriel Okawa Belizario
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frank Bellivier
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM UMR-S1144, Université de Paris, FondaMental Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Robert H Belmaker
- Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.,Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT-The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.,Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yuly Bersudsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Şule Bicakci
- Department of Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Psychiatry, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Thomas D Bjella
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Conan Brady
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jorge Cabrera
- Mood Disorders Clinic, Dr. Jose Horwitz Psychiatric Institute, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Angela Marianne Paredes Castro
- Deakin University, IMPACT-The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Wei-Ling Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Chiayi Branch, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | | | - Silvia Chiesa
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Marie Crowe
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Alessandro Cuomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena School of Medicine, Siena, Italy
| | - Sara Dallaspezia
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Del Zompo
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | | | - Seetal Dodd
- Deakin University, IMPACT-The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Markus Donix
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bruno Etain
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM UMR-S1144, Université de Paris, FondaMental Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Fagiolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena School of Medicine, Siena, Italy
| | - Frederike T Fellendorf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Jess G Fiedorowicz
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kostas N Fountoulakis
- 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Pierre A Geoffroy
- Département de Psychiatrie et d'addictologie, AP-HP, Hopital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France.,GHU Paris-Psychiatry and Neurosciences, 75014, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Ana Gonzalez-Pinto
- BIOARABA, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Alava, University of the Basque Country, CIBERSAM, Vitoria, Spain
| | - John F Gottlieb
- Department of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paul Grof
- Mood Disorders Center of Ottawa and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Bartholomeus C M Haarman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hirohiko Harima
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mathias Hasse-Sousa
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Chantal Henry
- Department of Psychiatry, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, 75014, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Lone Høffding
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Josselin Houenou
- Université Paris Est Créteil, INSERM, IMRB, Translational Neuropsychiatry, Fondation FondaMental, 94010, Créteil, France.,Université Paris Saclay, CEA, Neurospin, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Erkki T Isometsä
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maja Ivkovic
- University Clinical Center of Serbia, Clinic for Psychiatry, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Sven Janno
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Simon Johnsen
- Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Flávio Kapczinski
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gregory N Karakatsoulis
- 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mathias Kardell
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lars Vedel Kessing
- Copenhagen Affective Disorder Research Center (CADIC), Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Seong Jae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Cheongju Hospital, Cheongju, South Korea
| | - Barbara König
- BIPOLAR Zentrum Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Timur L Kot
- Khanty-Mansiysk Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
| | - Michael Koval
- Department of Neuroscience, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mauricio Kunz
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Beny Lafer
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mikael Landén
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik R Larsen
- Mental Health Department Odense, University Clinic and Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
| | - Melanie Lenger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ute Lewitzka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rasmus W Licht
- Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Carlos Lopez-Jaramillo
- Mood Disorders Program, Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Research Group in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Alan MacKenzie
- Forensic Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | - Jayant Mahadevan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Agustine Mahardika
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mataram University, Mataram, Indonesia
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Science and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Wendy Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Klaus Martiny
- Copenhagen University Hospitals, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yuki Mashima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Declan M McLoughlin
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ybe Meesters
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Melle
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fátima Meza-Urzúa
- National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mok Yee Ming
- Department of General Psychiatry, Mood Disorders Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Scott Monteith
- Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Traverse City Campus, Traverse City, MI, USA
| | - Muthukumaran Moorthy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Gunnar Morken
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Psychiatry, St Olavs' University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Enrica Mosca
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | | | - Rodrigo Munoz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Fethi Nacef
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ravi K Nadella
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Takako Nakanotani
- Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - René Ernst Nielsen
- Psychiatry, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Claire O'Donovan
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Adel Omrani
- Tunisian Bipolar Forum, Érable Médical Cabinet 324, Lac 2, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Yamima Osher
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Uta Ouali
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Pornjira Pariwatcharakul
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joanne Petite
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Andrea Pfennig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Maximilian Pilhatsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Elblandklinikum Radebeul, Radebeul, Germany
| | - Marco Pinna
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Science and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Lucio Bini Mood Disorder Center, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Richard Porter
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Danilo Quiroz
- Deparment of Psychiatry, Diego Portales University, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Raj Ramesar
- SA MRC Genomic and Precision Medicine Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Natalie Rasgon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Woraphat Ratta-Apha
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Michaela Ratzenhofer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Maria Redahan
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, St Patrick's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - M S Reddy
- Asha Bipolar Clinic, Asha Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Z Reininghaus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jenny Gringer Richards
- Departments of Psychiatry, Epidemiology, and Internal Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Philipp Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janusz K Rybakowski
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Leela Sathyaputri
- Departments of Psychiatry, Epidemiology, and Internal Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ângela M Scippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Christian Simhandl
- Bipolar Zentrum Wiener Neustadt, Sigmund Freud Privat Universität, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emanuel Severus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - José Smith
- Bipolar Disorder Program, Neuroscience Institute, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paul W Stackhouse
- Science Directorate/Climate Science Branch, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit On Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kellen Stilwell
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Sergio Strejilevich
- Bipolar Disorder Program, Neuroscience Institute, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kuan-Pin Su
- College of Medicine, China Medical University (CMU), Taichung, Taiwan.,An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | - Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kirsi Suominen
- Department of Social Services and Health Care, Psychiatry, City of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andi J Tanra
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Yoshitaka Tatebayashi
- Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wen Lin Teh
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Leonardo Tondo
- McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Mood Disorder Lucio Bini Centers, Cagliari e Roma, Italy
| | - Carla Torrent
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Daniel Tuinstra
- Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Takahito Uchida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Arne E Vaaler
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Psychiatry, St Olavs' University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Julia Veeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Biju Viswanath
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Maria Yoldi-Negrete
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oguz Kaan Yalcinkaya
- Department of Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Allan H Young
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yosra Zgueb
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Peter C Whybrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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7
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Son J, Shin J. Bimodal effects of sunlight on major depressive disorder. Compr Psychiatry 2021; 108:152232. [PMID: 33905989 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal patterns in the effect of sunlight on depression, where depression decreases when sunlight increases, have been observed in previous studies. In this study, we demonstrate a bimodal effect of sunlight on depression - short-term increases in sunlight increase depression and long-term increases in sunlight decrease depression. The analysis showed that the significant effect of sunlight is temporary and appears only when seasonal changes are severe within a given year. METHODS We analyzed approximately 530,000 cases where patients visited hospital for depression in Korea from January 1 to December 31, 2016. We measured the daily average amount of sunlight and daily sunlight for the 30 days previous to the day of measurement using data from 96 weather stations. To analyze the effect of sunlight, several climatic variables and local dummies were added to the negative binomial model, and the period in which the effect of sunlight was significant was derived as a term of the interaction between the month variable and sunlight. RESULTS When the average effects of climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity were removed, the number of cases of depression increased when the daily average amount of sunlight increased [IRR = 1.024 (95% CI: 1.009 to 1.039)]; this effect was significant only in January and May. The number of cases of depression decreased with higher daily average sunlight for the previous 30 days increasing [IRR = 0.917 (95% CI: 0.892 to 0.944)], and this effect was significant only in January, March, and May. CONCLUSIONS The effect of sunlight on depression appears in both the short and long terms, but the effect is significant only for limited periods. The data examined in this study supports a pattern where short-term daily sunlight increases depression and daily sunlight for the previous 30 days decreases depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungmin Son
- College of Economics and Management, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jinhee Shin
- College of Economics and Management, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
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8
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Cheng S, Plouffe R, Nanos SM, Qamar M, Fisman DN, Soucy JPR. The effect of average temperature on suicide rates in five urban California counties, 1999-2019: an ecological time series analysis. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:974. [PMID: 34034696 PMCID: PMC8147045 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11001-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of premature morality in the United States and its rates continue to increase. Thus, its prevention has become a salient public health responsibility. Risk factors of suicide transcend the individual and societal level as risk can increase based on climatic variables. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the association between average temperature and suicide rates in the five most populous counties in California using mortality data from 1999 to 2019. METHODS Monthly counts of death by suicide for the five counties of interest were obtained from CDC WONDER. Monthly average, maximum, and minimum temperature were obtained from nCLIMDIV for the same time period. We modelled the association of each temperature variable with suicide rate using negative binomial generalized additive models accounting for the county-specific annual trend and monthly seasonality. RESULTS There were over 38,000 deaths by suicide in California's five most populous counties between 1999 and 2019. An increase in average temperature of 1 °C corresponded to a 0.82% increase in suicide rate (IRR = 1.0082 per °C; 95% CI = 1.0025-1.0140). Estimated coefficients for maximum temperature (IRR = 1.0069 per °C; 95% CI = 1.0021-1.0117) and minimum temperature (IRR = 1.0088 per °C; 95% CI = 1.0023-1.0153) were similar. CONCLUSION This study adds to a growing body of evidence supporting a causal effect of elevated temperature on suicide. Further investigation into environmental causes of suicide, as well as the biological and societal contexts mediating these relationships, is critical for the development and implementation of new public health interventions to reduce the incidence of suicide, particularly in the face increasing temperatures due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra Cheng
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Rebecca Plouffe
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Stephanie M Nanos
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Mavra Qamar
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada.
| | - David N Fisman
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul R Soucy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3M7, Canada
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9
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Abstract
AIMS We aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of seasonal suicide patterns among multiple geographically, demographically and socioeconomically diverse populations. METHODS Weekly time-series data of suicide counts for 354 communities in 12 countries during 1986-2016 were analysed. Two-stage analysis was performed. In the first stage, a generalised linear model, including cyclic splines, was used to estimate seasonal patterns of suicide for each community. In the second stage, the community-specific seasonal patterns were combined for each country using meta-regression. In addition, the community-specific seasonal patterns were regressed onto community-level socioeconomic, demographic and environmental indicators using meta-regression. RESULTS We observed seasonal patterns in suicide, with the counts peaking in spring and declining to a trough in winter in most of the countries. However, the shape of seasonal patterns varied among countries from bimodal to unimodal seasonality. The amplitude of seasonal patterns (i.e. the peak/trough relative risk) also varied from 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-1.62) to 1.05 (95% CI: 1.01-1.1) among 12 countries. The subgroup difference in the seasonal pattern also varied over countries. In some countries, larger amplitude was shown for females and for the elderly population (≥65 years of age) than for males and for younger people, respectively. The subperiod difference also varied; some countries showed increasing seasonality while others showed a decrease or little change. Finally, the amplitude was larger for communities with colder climates, higher proportions of elderly people and lower unemployment rates (p-values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite the common features of a spring peak and a winter trough, seasonal suicide patterns were largely heterogeneous in shape, amplitude, subgroup differences and temporal changes among different populations, as influenced by climate, demographic and socioeconomic conditions. Our findings may help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of seasonal suicide patterns and aid in improving the design of population-specific suicide prevention programmes based on these patterns.
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10
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Nicole W. Hot Temperatures and Suicide Risk: New Insight into a Complex Topic. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:74005. [PMID: 32716649 PMCID: PMC7384755 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
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11
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Yarza S, Vodonos A, Hassan L, Shalev H, Novack V, Novack L. Suicide behavior and meteorological characteristics in hot and arid climate. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 184:109314. [PMID: 32187563 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicidal behavior is determined by the consequence of an interaction between biological, psychological and sociological factors, as well as between individual and environmental effects. Fluctuations in meteorological factors can modify human behavior and affect suicidal rates. We hypothesize that high temperatures can be associated with an increase rate of suicidal attempts. METHODS We included all the patients admitted to Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) due to suicide attempts between the years 2002-2017 and were residents of Southern Israel. We computed two sets of regression models: first, a time stratified case-crossover design to control for seasonality and individual differences. Results are presented as odds ratio (OR) with confidence interval (CI); and then, time-series analyses to calculate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and the cumulative effect of temperature on the daily incidences of emergency department (ED) admissions after suicide attempts. We stratified the analyses by demographic variables to identify significant individual differences. RESULTS We identified 3100 attempts, by 2338 patients who lived in Be'er Sheva between 16 and 90 years of age; 421 patients made 2+ attempts. Suicide attempts were associated with a 5 °C increase during the summer season (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.22-2.08) and a 5 °C increase in all seasons was associated with those who have made multiple attempts (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.0005-1.38). The cumulative effect of 5 °C increment is associated with more suicide attempts over 2 days (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 0.98; 1.24) and 5 days (IRR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00; 1.08). The associations were greater for patients with psychiatric diagnosis and patients with multiple attempts. In a stratified analysis by individual characteristics we didn't find significant association. CONCLUSION High temperatures and low amount of precipitations are evidently of great impact on people's susceptibility to suicidal behavior, especially for individuals who have had a prior suicide attempt. Our findings indicate the need for public health attention in the summer when temperature increases precipitously over days, especially for those who have made a prior suicide attempt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaked Yarza
- Negev Environmental Health Research Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
| | - Alina Vodonos
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Lior Hassan
- Negev Environmental Health Research Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
| | - Hadar Shalev
- Department of Psychiatry, Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel.
| | - Victor Novack
- Negev Environmental Health Research Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
| | - Lena Novack
- Negev Environmental Health Research Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
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12
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Sugg MM, Dixon PG, Runkle JD. Crisis support-seeking behavior and temperature in the United States: Is there an association in young adults and adolescents? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 669:400-411. [PMID: 30884264 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mounting evidence demonstrates the relationship between high temperatures and adverse mental health outcomes. Yet, no study has examined the influence of temperature on crisis support-seeking behavior among youth in large urban areas. METHODS Crisis Text Line (CTL) is a text messaging service that provides crisis interventions for support-seeking individuals for a range of mental-health outcomes in the United States. We applied a distributed lag non-linear modeling technique to assess the short-term impacts of daily maximum and minimum temperature on crisis-related events in four metropolitan locations in the USA. RESULTS There were multiple positive associations in three of the four study locations that demonstrate crisis help-seeking behavior increased during anomalously warm conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that there is a significant association between high minimum or maximum temperatures and crisis help-seeking behaviors in young adults and adolescents in urban areas in the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M Sugg
- Department of Geography and Planning, Appalachian State University, P.O. Box 32066, Boone, NC 28608, United States of America.
| | - P Grady Dixon
- Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park Street, Hays, KS 67601-4099, United States of America.
| | - Jennifer D Runkle
- North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, North Carolina State University, 151 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801, United States of America,.
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13
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Bauer M, Glenn T, Alda M, Andreassen OA, Angelopoulos E, Ardau R, Ayhan Y, Baethge C, Bauer R, Baune BT, Becerra-Palars C, Bellivier F, Belmaker RH, Berk M, Bersudsky Y, Bicakci Ş, Birabwa-Oketcho H, Bjella TD, Cabrera J, Wo Cheung EY, Del Zompo M, Dodd S, Donix M, Etain B, Fagiolini A, Fountoulakis KN, Frye MA, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Gottlieb JF, Grof P, Harima H, Henry C, Isometsä ET, Janno S, Kapczinski F, Kardell M, Khaldi S, Kliwicki S, König B, Kot TL, Krogh R, Kunz M, Lafer B, Landén M, Larsen ER, Lewitzka U, Licht RW, Lopez-Jaramillo C, MacQueen G, Manchia M, Marsh W, Martinez-Cengotitabengoa M, Melle I, Meza-Urzúa F, Ming MY, Monteith S, Morken G, Mosca E, Mozzhegorov AA, Munoz R, Mythri SV, Nacef F, Nadella RK, Nery FG, Nielsen RE, O'Donovan C, Omrani A, Osher Y, Sørensen HØ, Ouali U, Ruiz YP, Pilhatsch M, Pinna M, da Ponte FDR, Quiroz D, Ramesar R, Rasgon N, Reddy MS, Reif A, Ritter P, Rybakowski JK, Sagduyu K, Raghuraman BS, Scippa ÂM, Severus E, Simhandl C, Stackhouse PW, Stein DJ, Strejilevich S, Subramaniam M, Sulaiman AH, Suominen K, Tagata H, Tatebayashi Y, Tondo L, Torrent C, Vaaler AE, Vares E, Veeh J, Vieta E, Viswanath B, Yoldi-Negrete M, Zetin M, Zgueb Y, Whybrow PC. Association between solar insolation and a history of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 113:1-9. [PMID: 30878786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In many international studies, rates of completed suicide and suicide attempts have a seasonal pattern that peaks in spring or summer. This exploratory study investigated the association between solar insolation and a history of suicide attempt in patients with bipolar I disorder. Solar insolation is the amount of electromagnetic energy from the Sun striking a surface area on Earth. Data were collected previously from 5536 patients with bipolar I disorder at 50 collection sites in 32 countries at a wide range of latitudes in both hemispheres. Suicide related data were available for 3365 patients from 310 onset locations in 51 countries. 1047 (31.1%) had a history of suicide attempt. There was a significant inverse association between a history of suicide attempt and the ratio of mean winter solar insolation/mean summer solar insolation. This ratio is smallest near the poles where the winter insolation is very small compared to the summer insolation. This ratio is largest near the equator where there is relatively little variation in the insolation over the year. Other variables in the model that were positively associated with suicide attempt were being female, a history of alcohol or substance abuse, and being in a younger birth cohort. Living in a country with a state-sponsored religion decreased the association. (All estimated coefficients p < 0.01). In summary, living in locations with large changes in solar insolation between winter and summer may be associated with increased suicide attempts in patients with bipolar disorder. Further investigation of the impacts of solar insolation on the course of bipolar disorder is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Tasha Glenn
- ChronoRecord Association, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - Martin Alda
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elias Angelopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Capodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Raffaella Ardau
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Yavuz Ayhan
- Department of Psychiatry, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Christopher Baethge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne Medical School, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rita Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Frank Bellivier
- Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM UMR-S1144, Denis Diderot University, René Descartes University, FondaMental Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Robert H Belmaker
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Orygen, the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health, the Centre for Youth Mental Health and the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yuly Bersudsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | | | | | - Thomas D Bjella
- NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorge Cabrera
- Mood Disorders Clinic, Dr. Jose Horwitz Psychiatric Institute, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Eric Y Wo Cheung
- Department of General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Maria Del Zompo
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | - Seetal Dodd
- Deakin University, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Markus Donix
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bruno Etain
- Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, INSERM UMR-S1144, Denis Diderot University, René Descartes University, FondaMental Foundation, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Fagiolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Mental Health (DAI), University of Siena and University of Siena Medical Center (AOUS), Siena, Italy
| | - Kostas N Fountoulakis
- Division of Neurosciences, 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Mark A Frye
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Mayo Clinic Depression Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ana Gonzalez-Pinto
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Alava, University of the Basque Country, CIBERSAM, Vitoria, Spain
| | - John F Gottlieb
- Department of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Paul Grof
- Mood Disorders Center of Ottawa, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hirohiko Harima
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chantal Henry
- AP-HP, Hopitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor and INSERM U955 (IMRB) and Université Paris Est and Institut Pasteur, Unité Perception et Mémoire, Paris, France
| | - Erkki T Isometsä
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sven Janno
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Flávio Kapczinski
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Mathias Kardell
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Sebastian Kliwicki
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Barbara König
- BIPOLAR Zentrum Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
| | - Timur L Kot
- Khanty-Mansiysk Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
| | - Rikke Krogh
- Department of Affective Disorders, Q, Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mauricio Kunz
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Beny Lafer
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mikael Landén
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg and Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik R Larsen
- Department of Affective Disorders, Q, Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ute Lewitzka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rasmus W Licht
- Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Carlos Lopez-Jaramillo
- Mood Disorders Program, Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación, Research Group in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Glenda MacQueen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Mirko Manchia
- Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Section of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Science and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Wendy Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Ingrid Melle
- NORMENT - K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fátima Meza-Urzúa
- National Institute of Psychiatry '"Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Mok Yee Ming
- Department of General Psychiatry, Mood Disorders Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Scott Monteith
- Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Traverse City Campus, Traverse City, MI, USA
| | - Gunnar Morken
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, St Olavs' University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Enrica Mosca
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
| | | | - Rodrigo Munoz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Fethi Nacef
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Fabiano G Nery
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - René E Nielsen
- Unit for Psychiatric Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Claire O'Donovan
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Adel Omrani
- Tunisian Bipolar Forum, Érable Médical Cabinet 324, Lac 2, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Yamima Osher
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva Mental Health Center, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | | | - Uta Ouali
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Maximilian Pilhatsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marco Pinna
- Lucio Bini Mood Disorder Center, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Francisco D R da Ponte
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Danilo Quiroz
- Deparment of Psychiatry, Diego Portales University, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Raj Ramesar
- UCT/MRC Human Genetics Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Natalie Rasgon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - M S Reddy
- Asha Bipolar Clinic, Asha Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Philipp Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janusz K Rybakowski
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Kemal Sagduyu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | - Ângela M Scippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Emanuel Severus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Paul W Stackhouse
- Science Directorate/Climate Science Branch, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sergio Strejilevich
- Bipolar Disorder Program, Neuroscience Institute, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kirsi Suominen
- Department of Social Services and Health Care, Psychiatry, City of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hiromi Tagata
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Tatebayashi
- Schizophrenia & Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Seatagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Leonardo Tondo
- McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Mood Disorder Lucio Bini Centers, Cagliari e Roma, Italy
| | - Carla Torrent
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Arne E Vaaler
- Department of Mental Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, St Olavs' University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Edgar Vares
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julia Veeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Maria Yoldi-Negrete
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mark Zetin
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Yosra Zgueb
- Razi Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Peter C Whybrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Schwartz PJ. Chris Cornell, the Black Hole Sun, and the Seasonality of Suicide. Neuropsychobiology 2019; 78:38-47. [PMID: 30921807 PMCID: PMC6549453 DOI: 10.1159/000498868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Seattle-inspired rock and roll superstar Chris Cornell died by suicide in May 2017. In the northern hemisphere, May represents the peak of the widely replicated but still unexplained seasonal spring rhythm in suicide. Years earlier, Cornell had suffered openly from recurrent bouts of severe depression, and his early musical lyrics do indeed suggest an enduring sensitivity to the vicissitudes of depressed and suicidal states. Cornell's most famous song, Black Hole Sun, suggests a mixed mood state, the incidence of which also peaks in the spring. The present work explores Cornell's May suicide from a chronobiologic perspective. METHODS Review of Cornell's lyrics and literature on suicide. RESULTS Cornell's lyrics contain clear indicators of mixed depressive and seasonal imagery, highlighting 3 fundamental axioms of suicidology: (1) the yearly suicide rhythm peaks in May in the northern hemisphere, (2) mixed depressive states are particularly lethal, and (3) the suicide risk increases dramatically when recovering from depression and mood turns mixed. CONCLUSIONS Cornell, in his life and music, left us with a novel and important hypothesis about the spring seasonality of suicide, namely, that the yearly suicide risk becomes maximal when winter turns to spring and there emerges a deadly mixed mood state under a May photoperiod, i.e., the suicide risk is maximal when a Black Hole Sun occurs in May. It is hoped that Cornell's legacy and sensitive hypothesis inspire research into the etiology and treatment of the spring seasonality of suicide risk and mixed mood states. LIMITATIONS The Cornell hypothesis was formulated based in part on several speculative inferences regarding the course of his functioning just prior to his suicide.
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Gao J, Cheng Q, Duan J, Xu Z, Bai L, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wang S, Zhang Z, Su H. Ambient temperature, sunlight duration, and suicide: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 646:1021-1029. [PMID: 30235587 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between sunlight hours, temperature, and suicide has been investigated in many previous studies, but with inconsistent findings. We conducted this meta-analysis aiming at providing clear evidence about whether sunlight hours and temperature can affect the risk of suicide. METHODS Relevant literature published before 7 Jul 2018 was searched in three electronic database of PubMed, Web of science and Cochrane. Between-study heterogeneity in the effect estimates were examined by study design (i.e., exposure time resolution, temperature measure and suicide classification) and population vulnerability (i.e., sex, national income level, climate zone and study location). RESULTS Regarding temperature-suicide association, we identified 14 studies that provided 23 effect estimates for meta-analysis. Our random-effects model showed that each 1 °C increase in temperature was significantly associated with a 1% increase in the incidence of suicide (Incidence Rate Radio (IRR) = 1.01; 95%CI = 1.00-1.02; p < 0.05). As for sunlight duration and suicide, 11 effect estimates from 4 studies were pooled using a fixed-effects model. Significant association between sunlight duration (per 1 h increase) and the risk of suicide was not observed, and the pooled IRR was 1.00 (95%CI = 0.99-1.01; p > 0.05). There was significant heterogeneity between previous studies' effect estimates, and significantly lower heterogeneity was noted for the female group, for studies that did analyses at daily scale, and for studies using mean temperature as the exposure indicator. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a significant and positive association between temperature rises and incidence of suicide, and a non-significant association between sunlight duration and incidence of suicide. Populations living in tropical and temperate zones or at middle-income level may be particularly vulnerable to temperature increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Gao
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Qiang Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Jun Duan
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Zihan Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Lijun Bai
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Yanwu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Shusi Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Zhihua Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China
| | - Hong Su
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Disease, China.
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Thompson R, Hornigold R, Page L, Waite T. Associations between high ambient temperatures and heat waves with mental health outcomes: a systematic review. Public Health 2018; 161:171-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Dixon PG, Kalkstein AJ. Where are weather-suicide associations valid? An examination of nine US counties with varying seasonality. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2018; 62:685-697. [PMID: 27822625 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-016-1265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
There has been much research on the associations between weather variables and suicide rates. However, the state of understanding has remained rather stagnant due to many contradictory findings. The purpose of this project is to examine a larger database of suicides that includes a longer and more recent period of record (1975-2010) across numerous locations in the USA. In all, we examine nine total counties (and the primary city associated with them) with a special effort made to compare locations with varying degrees of temperature seasonality: Cook (Chicago), Fulton (Atlanta), King (Seattle), Los Angeles (Los Angeles), Maricopa (Phoenix), Miami-Dade (Miami), Philadelphia (Philadelphia), Salt Lake (Salt Lake City), and St. Louis (St. Louis). We first examine the unique seasonal cycle in suicides evident in each locale and then use distributed lag nonlinear modeling (DLNM) to relate the suicide data to daily surface temperatures. Results suggest that a late spring/summer peak generally exists in suicide rates, and above average temperatures are associated with increased suicide risk in almost all study counties. Further, it appears that these associations can be found in both mid-latitude and sub-tropical climate types.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grady Dixon
- Department of Geosciences, Fort Hays State University, 600 Park St, Hays, KS, USA.
| | - Adam J Kalkstein
- Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, USA
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Fdez-Arroyabe P, Robau DT. Past, present and future of the climate and human health commission. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2017; 61:115-125. [PMID: 28735444 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-017-1413-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The following paper presents the history of the Climate and Human Health Commission at the International Society of Biometeorology after more than one decade since its creation. A brief history of the origins of the human biometeorology is revealed through some of the main research topics and publications of the founders of the society in this field. Secondly, it is presented as a brief review of the activities of the commission in the last 10 years, based on the reports that have periodically been submitted by members of the commission to the Bulletin of the society. A summary of the topics of interest on human biometeorology and the most frequent research topics are also described. Thirdly, the need of adapting human biometeorology contents, methods and techniques to a changing world is articulated according to some of the new environmental threats in the XXI century. Finally, a list of future actions and research lines collected through a form from members of the commission is presented. The paper concludes with the existence of great challenge for human biometeorology in order to transform biometeorological knowledge into specific services to improve the wellbeing of human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Fdez-Arroyabe
- Geography Department, Geobiomet Research Group, University of Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria, Spain.
| | - Daysarih Tápanes Robau
- Geography Department, Geobiomet Research Group, University of Cantabria, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
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Jee HJ, Cho CH, Lee YJ, Choi N, An H, Lee HJ. Solar radiation increases suicide rate after adjusting for other climate factors in South Korea. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2017; 135:219-227. [PMID: 27987216 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have indicated that suicide rates have significant seasonal variations. There is seasonal discordance between temperature and solar radiation due to the monsoon season in South Korea. We investigated the seasonality of suicide and assessed its association with climate variables in South Korea. METHOD Suicide rates were obtained from the National Statistical Office of South Korea, and climatic data were obtained from the Korea Meteorological Administration for the period of 1992-2010. We conducted analyses using a generalized additive model (GAM). First, we explored the seasonality of suicide and climate variables such as mean temperature, daily temperature range, solar radiation, and relative humidity. Next, we identified confounding climate variables associated with suicide rate. To estimate the adjusted effect of solar radiation on the suicide rate, we investigated the confounding variables using a multivariable GAM. RESULTS Suicide rate showed seasonality with a pattern similar to that of solar radiation. We found that the suicide rate increased 1.008 times when solar radiation increased by 1 MJ/m2 after adjusting for other confounding climate factors (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Solar radiation has a significant linear relationship with suicide after adjusting for region, other climate variables, and time trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Jung Jee
- Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chul-Hyun Cho
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Jin Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Nari Choi
- Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyonggin An
- Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Heon-Jeong Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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Fernández-Arteaga V, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Fresán A, González-Castro TB, Juárez-Rojop IE, López-Narváez L, Hernández-Díaz Y. Association between completed suicide and environmental temperature in a Mexican population, using the Knowledge Discovery in Database approach. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2016; 135:219-224. [PMID: 27586493 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Suicide is a worldwide health problem and climatological characteristics have been associated with suicide behavior. However, approaches such as the Knowledge Discovery in Database are not frequently used to search for an association between climatological characteristics and suicide. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between weather data and suicide in a Mexican population. METHODS We used the information of 1357 patients who completed suicide from 2005 to 2012. Alternatively, weather data were provided by the National Water Commission. We used the Knowledge Discovery in Database approach with an Apriori algorithm and the data analyses were performed with the Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis software. One hundred rules of association were generated with a confidence of 0.86 and support of 1. RESULTS We found an association between environmental temperature and suicide: days with no rain and temperatures between 30 °C and 40 °C (86-104 °F) were related to males completing suicide by hanging. CONCLUSIONS In the prevention of suicidal behavior, the Knowledge Discovery in Database could be used to establish climatological characteristics and their association with suicide. This approach must be considered in future prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Fernández-Arteaga
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico.
| | - Ana Fresán
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Thelma Beatriz González-Castro
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Isela E Juárez-Rojop
- División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
| | | | - Yazmín Hernández-Díaz
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco, Mexico
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21
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Yiannakoulias N, Kielasinska E. The effect of temperature on arson incidence in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2016; 60:651-661. [PMID: 26362852 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-015-1059-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies of crime and weather have largely excluded arson from empirical and theoretical consideration, yet weather could influence arson frequency over short time frames, influencing the motivation and activity of potential arsonists, as well as the physical possibility of fire ignition. This study aims to understand the role of weather on urban arson in order to determine its role in explaining short-term variations in arson frequency. We use data reported to the Ontario Fire Marshall's office of arson events in the City of Toronto between 1996 and 2007 to estimate the effect of temperature, precipitation, wind conditions and air pressure on arson events while controlling for the effects of holidays, weekends and other calendar-related events. We find that temperature has an independent association with daily arson frequency, as do precipitation and air pressure. In this study area, cold weather has a larger influence on arson frequency than hot weather. There is also some evidence that extremely hot and cold temperatures may be associated with lower day-time arson frequency, while night-time arson seems to have a simpler positive linear association with temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niko Yiannakoulias
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S4K1, Canada.
| | - Ewa Kielasinska
- School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S4K1, Canada
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Fountoulakis KN, Savopoulos C, Zannis P, Apostolopoulou M, Fountoukidis I, Kakaletsis N, Kanellos I, Dimellis D, Hyphantis T, Tsikerdekis A, Pompili M, Hatzitolios AI. Climate change but not unemployment explains the changing suicidality in Thessaloniki Greece (2000-2012). J Affect Disord 2016; 193:331-8. [PMID: 26796233 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recently there was a debate concerning the etiology behind attempts and completed suicides. The aim of the current study was to search for possible correlations between the rates of attempted and completed suicide and climate variables and regional unemployment per year in the county of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, northern Greece, for the years 2000-12. MATERIAL AND METHODS The regional rates of suicide and attempted suicide as well as regional unemployment were available from previous publications of the authors. The climate variables were calculated from the daily E-OBS gridded dataset which is based on observational data RESULTS Only the male suicide rates correlate significantly with high mean annual temperature but not with unemployment. The multiple linear regression analysis results suggest that temperature is the only variable that determines male suicides and explains 51% of their variance. Unemployment fails to contribute significantly to the model. There seems to be a seasonal distribution for attempts with mean rates being higher for the period from May to October and the rates clearly correlate with temperature. The highest mean rates were observed during May and August and the lowest during December and February. Multiple linear regression analysis suggests that temperature also determines the female attempts rate although the explained variable is significant but very low (3-5%) CONCLUSION Climate variables and specifically high temperature correlate both with suicide and attempted suicide rates but with a different way between males and females. The climate effect was stronger than the effect of unemployment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christos Savopoulos
- 1st Propedeutic Dept of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Prodromos Zannis
- Department of Meteorology and Climatology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | | | - Ilias Fountoukidis
- Internal Medicine Department, Agios Pavlos Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Nikolaos Kakaletsis
- 1st Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Ilias Kanellos
- 1st Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Dimos Dimellis
- 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Thomas Hyphantis
- Department of Psychiatry, Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Athanasios Tsikerdekis
- Department of Meteorology and Climatology, School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Apostolos I Hatzitolios
- 1st Propedeutic Dept of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Aristotle University, AHEPA Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Kim Y, Kim H, Honda Y, Guo YL, Chen BY, Woo JM, Ebi KL. Suicide and Ambient Temperature in East Asian Countries: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:75-80. [PMID: 26069051 PMCID: PMC4710603 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1409392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A limited number of studies suggest that ambient temperature contributes to suicide; these studies typically focus on a single nation and use temporally and spatially aggregated data. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the association between ambient temperature and suicide in multiple cities in three East Asian countries. METHODS A time-stratified case-crossover method was used to explore the relationship between temperature and suicide, adjusting for potential time-varying confounders and time-invariant individual characteristics. Sex- and age-specific associations of temperature with suicide were estimated, as were interactions between temperature and these variables. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate country-specific pooled associations of temperature with suicide. RESULTS An increase in temperature corresponding to half of the city-specific standard deviation was positively associated with suicide in most cities, although average suicide rates varied substantially. Pooled country-level effect estimates were 7.8% (95% CI: 5.0, 10.8%) for a 2.3°C increase in ambient temperature in Taiwan, 6.8% (95% CI: 5.4, 8.2%) for a 4.7°C increase in Korea, and 4.5% (95% CI: 3.3, 5.7%) for a 4.2°C increase in Japan. The association between temperature and suicide was significant even after adjusting for sunshine duration; the association between sunshine and suicide was not significant. The associations were greater among men than women in 12 of the 15 cities although not significantly so. There was little evidence of a consistent pattern of associations with age. In general, associations were strongest with temperature on the same day or the previous day, with little evidence of associations with temperature over longer lags (up to 5 days). CONCLUSIONS We estimated consistent positive associations between suicide and elevated ambient temperature in three East Asian countries, regardless of country, sex, and age. CITATION Kim Y, Kim H, Honda Y, Guo YL, Chen BY, Woo JM, Ebi KL. 2016. Suicide and ambient temperature in East Asian countries: a time-stratified case-crossover analysis. Environ Health Perspect 124:75-80; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409392.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonhee Kim
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Address correspondence to H. Kim, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea. Telephone: (82) 2-880-2702. E-mail:
| | - Ho Kim
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yasushi Honda
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)
| | - Bing-Yu Chen
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)
| | - Jong-Min Woo
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Stress Research Institute, Inje University, Seoul, South Korea
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Suicide rates have widely been reported to peak in spring and summer. A frequent hypothesis is that increased sunlight exposure alters biological mechanisms. However, few attempts have been made to systematically untangle the putative suicidogenic risk of sunlight exposure from that of seasonality. We examined whether average hours of daily sunlight in a month confer additional risk over month of year when predicting monthly suicide rates. DESIGN Historical population-based ecological longitudinal study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used 3 longitudinal studies (n=31,060 suicides) with monthly suicide and meteorological data from Greece (1992-2001), Victoria, Australia (1990-1998) and Norway (1969-2009). INTERVENTION We used a negative binomial regression to observe (1) the association of month of year with suicides, adjusting for different sunlight exposures, and (2) the association of sunlight exposure with suicides, adjusting for month of year. We then investigated claims that suicides were associated with daily sunlight exposures, defined by us as 2550 sunlight exposure combinations corresponding to a 1-50 days exposure window with lags of 0-50 days. RESULTS Using monthly data, the association between month of year and suicides remained after adjusting for mean daily hours of sunlight and change in the mean daily hours of sunlight. Adjusted for month of year, the associations between sunlight exposure and suicides became non-significant and attenuated towards the null (the coefficient estimate for mean daily hours of sunlight decreased in absolute magnitude by 72%). The findings were consistent across all 3 cohorts, both when analysed separately and combined. When investigating daily sunlight exposures, we found no significant results after correcting for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS Using monthly data, the robustness of our month of year effects, combined with the transient and modest nature of our sunlight effects, suggested that the association between sunlight exposure and suicide was a proxy for the association between seasonality and suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deborah Azrael
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fotios C Papadopoulos
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gavin W Lambert
- Human Neurotransmitters Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Matthew Miller
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Qi X, Hu W, Page A, Tong S. Associations between climate variability, unemployment and suicide in Australia: a multicity study. BMC Psychiatry 2015; 15:114. [PMID: 25964132 PMCID: PMC4488118 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0496-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of studies have examined the associations of suicide with meteorological variables (MVs) and socioeconomic status but the results are inconsistent. This study assessed whether MVs and unemployment were associated with suicide in eight Australian capital cities. METHODS Data on suicide, population and unemployment rate (UER) between 1985 and 2005 were from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. MVs was provided by Australian Bureau of Meteorology. A generalized linear regression model with Poisson link was applied to explore the association of suicide with MVs and UER. RESULTS Temperature difference (ΔT, the difference in mean temperature between current month and previous one month) was positively associated with suicide in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart. There was also a significant and positive association between UER and suicide in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. MVs had more significant associations with violent suicide than that of non-violent suicide. There were no consistent associations between other MVs and suicide. A significant interaction between ΔT and UER on suicide was found in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, such that increased temperature amplified the magnitude of the association between UER and suicide. CONCLUSIONS ΔT and UER appeared to jointly influence the occurrence of suicide in Australian capital cities. This finding may have implications for developing effective suicide prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qi
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China. .,School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia.
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia.
| | - Andrew Page
- School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Building 24, Room 4.53D, Campbelltown Campus, Locked Bag, 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2517, Australia.
| | - Shilu Tong
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia.
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Dixon PG, Sinyor M, Schaffer A, Levitt A, Haney CR, Ellis KN, Sheridan SC. Association of weekly suicide rates with temperature anomalies in two different climate types. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2014; 11:11627-44. [PMID: 25402561 PMCID: PMC4245634 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph111111627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Annual suicide deaths outnumber the total deaths from homicide and war combined. Suicide is a complex behavioral endpoint, and a simple cause-and-effect model seems highly unlikely, but relationships with weather could yield important insight into the biopsychosocial mechanisms involved in suicide deaths. This study has been designed to test for a relationship between air temperature and suicide frequency that is consistent enough to offer some predictive abilities. Weekly suicide death totals and anomalies from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1986-2009) and Jackson, Mississippi, USA (1980-2006) are analyzed for relationships by using temperature anomaly data and a distributed lag nonlinear model. For both analysis methods, anomalously cool weeks show low probabilities of experiencing high-end suicide totals while warmer weeks are more likely to experience high-end suicide totals. This result is consistent for Toronto and Jackson. Weekly suicide totals demonstrate a sufficient association with temperature anomalies to allow some prediction of weeks with or without increased suicide frequency. While this finding alone is unlikely to have immediate clinical implications, these results are an important step toward clarifying the biopsychosocial mechanisms of suicidal behavior through a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between temperature and suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grady Dixon
- Department of Geosciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601, USA.
| | - Mark Sinyor
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
| | - Ayal Schaffer
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
| | - Anthony Levitt
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
| | - Christa R Haney
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Kelsey N Ellis
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | - Scott C Sheridan
- Department of Geography, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
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Holopainen J, Helama S, Partonen T. Does diurnal temperature range influence seasonal suicide mortality? Assessment of daily data of the Helsinki metropolitan area from 1973 to 2010. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2014; 58:1039-1045. [PMID: 23775128 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-013-0689-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Several studies show a peak in suicide rates during springtime and suggest differences in the seasonal variation of suicides. However, the seasonal distribution of the temperature impact on suicide is less clear. This study investigated the relationship between diurnal temperature range (DTR) on suicide mortality. Daily temperature and suicide data for Helsinki were analyzed for the period of 1973-2010 inclusive. Overall, DTR reached its maximum during the spring from mid-April to mid-June, which is also the season with highest suicide mortality in the study region. Specifically, the seasonal timing and maxima for both DTR and suicides vary from year to year. Time series analysis of DTR and suicide records revealed a significant (P<0.01) correlation between the springtime DTR maxima and suicide rates for males. No similar association could be found for females. These results provide evidence that a higher springtime DTR could be linked statistically to a higher seasonal suicide rate each spring, whereas the exact timing of the DTR peak did not associate with the seasonal suicide rate. A possible mechanism behind the springtime association between the DTR and suicides originates from brown adipose tissue (BAT) over-activity. Activation of BAT through the winter improves cold tolerance at the cost of heat tolerance. This might trigger anxiety and psychomotor agitation, affecting mood in a negative way. As a hypothesis, the compromised heat tolerance is suggested to increase the risk of death from suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jari Holopainen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2a, 00014, Helsinki, Finland,
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Qi X, Hu W, Mengersen K, Tong S. Socio-environmental drivers and suicide in Australia: Bayesian spatial analysis. BMC Public Health 2014; 14:681. [PMID: 24993370 PMCID: PMC4226967 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide has been examined in many studies. Few of them, however, have explored these associations from a spatial perspective, especially in assessing the association between meteorological factors and suicide. This study examined the association of meteorological and socio-demographic factors with suicide across small areas over different time periods. METHODS Suicide, population and socio-demographic data (e.g., population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (ATSI), and unemployment rate (UNE) at the Local Government Area (LGA) level were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the period of 1986 to 2005. Information on meteorological factors (rainfall, temperature and humidity) was supplied by Australian Bureau of Meteorology. A Bayesian Conditional Autoregressive (CAR) Model was applied to explore the association of socio-demographic and meteorological factors with suicide across LGAs. RESULTS In Model I (socio-demographic factors), proportion of ATSI and UNE were positively associated with suicide from 1996 to 2000 (Relative Risk (RR)ATSI = 1.0107, 95% Credible Interval (CI): 1.0062-1.0151; RRUNE = 1.0187, 95% CI: 1.0060-1.0315), and from 2001 to 2005 (RRATSI = 1.0126, 95% CI: 1.0076-1.0176; RRUNE = 1.0198, 95% CI: 1.0041-1.0354). Socio-Economic Index for Area (SEIFA) and IND, however, had negative associations with suicide between 1986 and 1990 (RRSEIFA = 0.9983, 95% CI: 0.9971-0.9995; RRATSI = 0.9914, 95% CI: 0.9848-0.9980). Model II (meteorological factors): a 1°C higher yearly mean temperature across LGAs increased the suicide rate by an average by 2.27% (95% CI: 0.73%, 3.82%) in 1996-2000, and 3.24% (95% CI: 1.26%, 5.21%) in 2001-2005. The associations between socio-demographic factors and suicide in Model III (socio-demographic and meteorological factors) were similar to those in Model I; but, there is no substantive association between climate and suicide in Model III. CONCLUSIONS Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, unemployment and temperature appeared to be statistically associated with of suicide incidence across LGAs among all selected variables, especially in recent years. The results indicated that socio-demographic factors played more important roles than meteorological factors in the spatial pattern of suicide incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qi
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
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Local daily temperatures, thermal seasons, and suicide rates in Finland from 1974 to 2010. Environ Health Prev Med 2014; 19:286-94. [PMID: 24794752 DOI: 10.1007/s12199-014-0391-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Suicide peaks in late spring and October are still seen in Finland among many countries. Weather factors have been suggested as explanations for these peaks, although with inconsistent results. Since the exact timing of these peaks varies each year, the length of daylight and changes in it seem inadequate as an explanation. We hypothesized that ambient temperature and the timing of thermal seasons might associate with suicide rate. METHODS Suicide rates from three areas across Finland (N = 10,802) were analyzed with Poisson regression in six different models against variables calculated from the local ambient daily temperature, diurnal temperature range, and the duration from the onset of thermal seasons. Separate models for men and women were constructed. RESULTS The temperature change over 5 days associated with the suicide rate of men in Helsinki region, or in other words, the lower the suicide rate was, the higher the temperature decrease had been. For women, the results were more inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS Our study is in line with some earlier studies which imply that impairment of thermoregulation might exist among suicide victims.
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Talaei A, Hedjazi A, Rezaei Ardani A, Fayyazi Bordbar MR, Talaei A. The Relationship between Meteorological Conditions and Homicide, Suicide, Rage, and Psychiatric Hospitalization. J Forensic Sci 2014; 59:1397-402. [DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2012] [Revised: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Talaei
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
| | - Arya Hedjazi
- Legal Medicine Research Center; Legal Medicine Organization; Tehran Iran
| | - Amir Rezaei Ardani
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center; Mashhad University of Medical Sciences; Mashhad Iran
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Liu Y, Zhang Y, Arai A, Obayashi Y, Tamashiro H. Gender-Based Seasonality of Suicide in Japan, 2005-2012. Asia Pac J Public Health 2013; 27:NP1999-2007. [DOI: 10.1177/1010539513491420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the gender-based seasonal patterns of suicide in Japan between 2005 and 2012. With data from Japanese official reports, we carried out Prais–Winsten regression and Wilcoxon signed-rank test analysis with Stata 12.0 and SPSS 14.0. The suicide number was significantly higher in March, April, May, June, July, and October for both genders. The suicide number in men was markedly higher than that in women in every month. The suicide number in 2010 was lower than that in 2009 for men, while that in 2011 was higher than that in 2010 for women. The findings displayed that the nationwide television and publicity intervention campaigns might have positive effects on decreasing suicide of men while women suffered a post-earthquake increase. In terms of interventions, we should not only square up the seasonal patterns but also the gender differences in vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ying Zhang
- University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Asuna Arai
- Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | | | - Hiko Tamashiro
- Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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Helama S, Holopainen J, Partonen T. Temperature-associated suicide mortality: contrasting roles of climatic warming and the suicide prevention program in Finland. Environ Health Prev Med 2013; 18:349-55. [PMID: 23382022 DOI: 10.1007/s12199-013-0329-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Suicide is a notable cause of death worldwide, and while suicidal behavior appears to be associated with variations in temperature, no estimations are available of climate change impacts on suicide rates. The study aims to evaluate the influence of temperature on suicide mortality, especially on multi-decadal and longer time scales, that is, at scales on which the ongoing warming distinctly operates and is correspondingly appropriate for the current policy responses to warming climate. METHODS Our results are based on an extraordinarily long record of deaths from suicide in Finland from 1751 to 2008, and a similarly long climatic record of ambient temperatures correlative of environmental change in the study region. RESULTS We show that temperature variability explains more than 60 % of the total suicide variance up until the initiation of a national suicide prevention program. Despite ongoing warming, suicide rates have declined since the initiation of the program. CONCLUSION By understanding the complexity of suicidal behavior as a response to ambient warming and the observed effects of interventions, our results underline the pressing need for a network of prevention programs to battle against temperature-mediated health hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuli Helama
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, P.O. Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland,
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Nazarzadeh M, Bidel Z, Ayubi E, Asadollahi K, Carson KV, Sayehmiri K. Determination of the social related factors of suicide in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health 2013; 13:4. [PMID: 23289631 PMCID: PMC3627903 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide, a social phenomenon, is a major health problem in most countries. Yet data relating to the role social factors play in the development of this condition are lacking, with some factors shrouded in greater ambiguity than others. As such, this review aimed to determine the prevalence of social-related factors resulting in suicide and to present these findings through meta-analyses, allowing for causes of heterogeneity to be examined. METHODS Scientific databases including PubMed and Science direct were searched using sensitive keywords. Two researchers reviewed the eligibility of studies and extracted data. Meta-regression with the Mantel-Haenszel method was conducted using a random effect model, in addition to subgroup analysis and Egger's test. RESULTS A total of 2,526 articles were retrieved through the initial search strategy, producing 20 studies from 16 provinces for analysis. The most frequent cause of attempted suicide among the 20 analyzed articles was family conflict with 32% (95% CI: 26-38). Other related factors included marital problems (26%; 95% CI: 20-33), economic constrains (12%; 95% CI: 8-15) and educational failures (5%; 95% CI: 3-8). Results of meta-regression analysis found that sample size significantly affects heterogeneity for the factor 'family conflict'. CONCLUSIONS Social factors such as family conflicts and marital problems have a noticeable role in Iranian suicidology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Nazarzadeh
- Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
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Hiltunen L, Ruuhela R, Ostamo A, Lönnqvist J, Suominen K, Partonen T. Atmospheric pressure and suicide attempts in Helsinki, Finland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2012; 56:1045-1053. [PMID: 22278192 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-011-0518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2010] [Revised: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The influence of weather on mood and mental health is commonly debated. Furthermore, studies concerning weather and suicidal behavior have given inconsistent results. Our aim was to see if daily weather changes associate with the number of suicide attempts in Finland. All suicide attempts treated in the hospitals in Helsinki, Finland, during two separate periods, 8 years apart, were included. Altogether, 3,945 suicide attempts were compared with daily weather parameters and analyzed with a Poisson regression. We found that daily atmospheric pressure correlated statistically significantly with the number of suicide attempts, and for men the correlation was negative. Taking into account the seasonal normal value during the period 1971-2000, daily temperature, global solar radiation and precipitation did not associate with the number of suicide attempts on a statistically significant level in our study. We concluded that daily atmospheric pressure may have an impact on suicidal behavior, especially on suicide attempts of men by violent methods (P < 0.001), and may explain the clustering of suicide attempts. Men seem to be more vulnerable to attempt suicide under low atmospheric pressure and women under high atmospheric pressure. We show only statistical correlations, which leaves the exact mechanisms of interaction between weather and suicidal behavior open. However, suicidal behavior should be assessed from the point of view of weather in addition to psychiatric and social aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hiltunen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
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Vyssoki B, Praschak-Rieder N, Sonneck G, Blüml V, Willeit M, Kasper S, Kapusta ND. Effects of sunshine on suicide rates. Compr Psychiatry 2012; 53:535-9. [PMID: 21821241 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2011.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Revised: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Seasonal spring peaks of suicide are well described in epidemiological studies, but their origin is poorly understood. More recent evidence suggests that this peak may be associated with the increase in the duration of sunshine in spring. We investigated the effect of number of sunshine hours per month on suicide rates in Austria between 1996 and 2006. METHODS Suicide data, differentiated by month of suicide, sex, and method of suicide (violent vs nonviolent methods), were provided by Statistics Austria. Data on the average number of sunshine hours per month were calculated from 39 representative meteorological stations (provided by the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics). For statistical analysis, analysis of variance tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Pearson correlation tests were used. RESULTS A total of 16,673 suicides with a median of 126 ± 19.8 suicides per month occurred in the examined period. A clear seasonal pattern was observed, with suicide frequencies being highest between March and May and lowest between November and January (df = 11, F = 5.2, P < .0001) for men (df = 11, F = 4.9, P < .0001) and women (df = 11, F = 2.4, P = .008). The average number of sunshine hours per month was significantly correlated with the number of suicides among both sexes (r = .43, P < .0001), violent methods (r = .48, P < .0001) but not with nonviolent methods (r = .03, P = .707). CONCLUSIONS This study shows that seasonal changes in sunshine account for variations in the number of suicides and especially violent suicides. We propose that sunshine, via interactions with serotonin neurotransmission, may trigger increased impulsivity and promote suicidal acts. However, because of the hypothesis-generating design of this study, more research is needed to further clarify the role of sunshine in triggering neurobiologic changes, which might contribute to suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Vyssoki
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Seasonality of suicidal behavior. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2012; 9:531-47. [PMID: 22470308 PMCID: PMC3315262 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9020531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Revised: 01/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A seasonal suicide peak in spring is highly replicated, but its specific cause is unknown. We reviewed the literature on suicide risk factors which can be associated with seasonal variation of suicide rates, assessing published articles from 1979 to 2011. Such risk factors include environmental determinants, including physical, chemical, and biological factors. We also summarized the influence of potential demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, month of birth, socioeconomic status, methods of prior suicide attempt, and comorbid psychiatric and medical diseases. Comprehensive evaluation of risk factors which could be linked to the seasonal variation in suicide is important, not only to identify the major driving force for the seasonality of suicide, but also could lead to better suicide prevention in general.
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Christodoulou C, Douzenis A, Papadopoulos FC, Papadopoulou A, Bouras G, Gournellis R, Lykouras L. Suicide and seasonality. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012; 125:127-46. [PMID: 21838741 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2011.01750.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Seasonal variation of deaths by suicide offers an important pathway in the study of possible suicide determinants of suicide and consequently suicide prevention. METHOD We conducted a review of the literature on suicide seasonality, assessing articles published between 1979 and 2009. RESULTS The majority of the studies confirm a peak in spring, mainly for men, older individuals, and violent methods of suicide. A secondary peak during autumn is observed. There is no common seasonality pattern for suicide methods. However, there are also certain studies that did not confirm seasonal variation. Inconsistent results with reduced, unchanged, and even increased suicide seasonality have been reported. Aspects on the association between seasonality and suicides are discussed. Except sex, age, and method of suicide, other parameters were taken into account to find more specific characteristics of seasonality in suicides as well. The influence of clinical, bioclimatic, sociodemographic as well as biological factors seems to affect the seasonal variation. CONCLUSION Studies from both the Northern and the Southern hemisphere report a seasonal pattern for suicides. These studies are not only an important source of epidemiological data for suicides but also represent a global effort to uncover hidden parameters of this self-destructive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Christodoulou
- Second Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens Medical School, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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Hiltunen L, Suominen K, Lönnqvist J, Partonen T. Relationship between daylength and suicide in Finland. J Circadian Rhythms 2011; 9:10. [PMID: 21943377 PMCID: PMC3206457 DOI: 10.1186/1740-3391-9-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many previous studies have documented seasonal variation in suicides globally. We re-assessed the seasonal variation of suicides in Finland and tried to relate it to the seasonal variation in daylength and ambient temperature and in the discrepancy between local time and solar time. Methods The daily data of all suicides from 1969 to 2003 in Finland (N = 43,393) were available. The calendar year was divided into twelve periods according to the length of daylight and the routinely changing time difference between sun time and official time. The daily mean of suicide mortality was calculated for each of these periods and the 95% confidence intervals of the daily means were used to evaluate the statistical significance of the means. In addition, daily changes in sunshine hours and mean temperature were compared to the daily means of suicide mortality in two locations during these afore mentioned periods. Results A significant peak of the daily mean value of suicide mortality occurred in Finland between May 15th and July 25th, a period that lies symmetrically around the solstice. Concerning the suicide mortality among men in the northern location (Oulu), the peak was postponed as compared with the southern location (Helsinki). The daily variation in temperature or in sunshine did not have significant association with suicide mortality in these two locations. Conclusions The period with the longest length of the day associated with the increased suicide mortality. Furthermore, since the peak of suicide mortality seems to manifest later during the year in the north, some other physical or biological signals, besides the variation in daylight, may be involved. In order to have novel means for suicide prevention, the assessment of susceptibility to the circadian misalignment might help.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hiltunen
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, P,O, Box 30 (Mannerheimintie 166), FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland.
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Yackerson NS, Zilberman A, Todder D, Kaplan Z. The influence of several changes in atmospheric states over semi-arid areas on the incidence of mental health disorders. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2011; 55:403-410. [PMID: 20668888 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-010-0350-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2009] [Revised: 02/03/2010] [Accepted: 07/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of suicide attempts [Deliberate Self Harm (DSH); ICD-10: X60-X84] and psychotic attacks (PsA; ICD-10, F20-F29) in association with atmospheric states, typical for areas close to big deserts, was analyzed. A retrospective study is based on the 4,325 cases of DSH and PsA registered in the Mental Health Center (MHC) of Ben-Gurion University (Be'er-Sheva, Israel) during 2001-2003. Pearson and Spearman test correlations were used; the statistical significance was tested at p < 0.1. The influence of temperature and humidity on suicide attempts (N(SU)) and psychotic attacks (N(PS)) was weakly pronounced (p > 0.1). Correlation coefficients between N(SU) and N(PS) and speed WS of westerly wind reaches 0.3 (p < 0.05), while their dependence on easterly WS was weaker (p > 0.09). Variations in easterly wind direction WD influence N(SU) and N(PS) values (p < 0.04), but no corresponding correlation with westerly winds was found (p > 0.3). Obviously ,in transition areas located between different regions ,the main role of air streams in meteorological-biological impact can scarcely be exaggerated. An unstable balance in the internal state of a weather-sensitive person is disturbed when the atmospheric state is changed by specific desert winds, which can provoke significant perturbations in meteorological parameters. Results indicate the importance of wind direction, defining mainly the atmospheric situation in semi-arid areas: changes in direction of the easterly wind influence N(SU) and N(PS), while changes in WS are important for mental health under westerly air streams. Obviously, N(SU) and N(PS) are more affected by the disturbance of weather from its normal state, for a given season, to which the local population is accustomed, than by absolute values of meteorological parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomy S Yackerson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel
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Decomposing the association of completed suicide with air pollution, weather, and unemployment data at different time scales. J Affect Disord 2011; 129:275-81. [PMID: 20828830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2010.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2010] [Revised: 08/12/2010] [Accepted: 08/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research has implicated environmental risk factors, such as meteorological variables, in suicide. However, studies have not investigated air pollution, known to induce acute medical conditions and increase mortality, in suicide. This study comprehensively assesses the temporal relationship between suicide and air pollution, weather, and unemployment variables in Taipei City from January 1 1991 to December 31 2008. METHODS This research used the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method to de-trend the suicide data into a set of intrinsic oscillations, called intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Multiple linear regression analysis with forward stepwise method was used to identify significant predictors of suicide from a pool of air pollution, weather, and unemployment data, and to quantify the temporal association between decomposed suicide IMFs with these predictors at different time scales. RESULTS Findings of this study predicted a classic seasonal pattern of increased suicide occurring in early summer by increased air particulates and decreased barometric pressure, in which the latter was in accordance with increased temperature during the corresponding time. Gaseous air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and ozone, were found to increase the risk of suicide at longer time scales. Decreased sunshine duration and sunspot activity predicted the increased suicide. After controlling for the unemployment factor, environmental risks predicted 33.7% of variance in the suicide data. CONCLUSIONS Using EMD analysis, this study found time-scale dependent associations between suicide and air pollution, weather and unemployment data. Contributing environmental risks may vary in different geographic regions and in different populations.
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Postolache TT, Mortensen PB, Tonelli LH, Jiao X, Frangakis C, Soriano JJ, Qin P. Seasonal spring peaks of suicide in victims with and without prior history of hospitalization for mood disorders. J Affect Disord 2010; 121:88-93. [PMID: 19535151 PMCID: PMC2837087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2009] [Revised: 05/16/2009] [Accepted: 05/17/2009] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal spring peaks of suicide are highly replicated, but their origin is poorly understood. As the peak of suicide in spring could be a consequence of decompensation of mood disorders in spring, we hypothesized that prior history of mood disorders is predictively associated with suicide in spring. METHODS We analyzed the monthly rates of suicide based upon all 37,987 suicide cases in the Danish Cause of Death Registry from 1970 to 2001. History of mood disorder was obtained from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register and socioeconomical data from the Integrated Database for Labour Market Research. The monthly rate ratio of suicide relative to December was estimated using a Poisson regression. Seasonality of suicide between individuals with versus without hospitalization for mood disorders was compared using conditional logistic regression analyses with adjustment for income, marital status, place of residence, and method of suicide. RESULTS A statistically significant spring peak in suicide was observed in both groups. A history of mood disorders was associated with an increased risk of suicide in spring (for males: RR=1.18, 95% CI 1.07-1.31; for females: RR=1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.32). LIMITATIONS History of axis II disorders was not analyzed. Danish socioeconomical realities have only limited generalizability. CONCLUSIONS The results support the need to further investigate if exacerbation of mood disorders in spring triggers seasonal peaks of suicide. Identifying triggers for seasonal spring peaks in suicide may lead to uncovering novel risk factors and therapeutic targets for suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodor T. Postolache
- Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Corresponding author: Teodor T. Postolache, MD, Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, MSTF Building Room 502, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA, , Phone: 410-706-2323, Fax: 410-706-0751
| | - Preben B. Mortensen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Leonardo H. Tonelli
- Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaolong Jiao
- Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Constantin Frangakis
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joseph J. Soriano
- Mood and Anxiety Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ping Qin
- National Centre for Register-based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
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Seasonality of suicide in Sweden: relationship with psychiatric disorder. J Affect Disord 2009; 119:59-65. [PMID: 19327843 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2008] [Revised: 02/22/2009] [Accepted: 02/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known as to whether suicide seasonality is related to psychiatric disorders affecting suicide risk/incidence. The present study aims to assess suicide seasonality patterns with regard to the history of psychiatric morbidity among suicide victims. METHODS The history of psychiatric inpatient diagnoses in the five years prior to suicide was identified among all suicides in Sweden from 1992 to 2003. Suicide seasonality was estimated as the relative risk of suicide during the month of highest to that in the month of lowest suicide incidence. Analyses were performed with respect to sex, suicide method and history of inpatient treatment of psychiatric disorder. RESULTS Among both male (n=9,902) and female (n=4,128) suicide victims, there were peaks in suicide incidence in the spring/early summer. This seasonal variation was more evident in suicide victims with a psychiatric inpatient diagnosis than in those without such a diagnosis. A seasonal variation was found in most diagnostic groups, with significant peaks in males with a history of depression and in females with a history of a neurotic, stress-related, or somatoform disorder. Overall, suicide seasonality was more evident in violent than in non-violent suicide methods. LIMITATION Only psychiatric disorders severe enough to require hospital admission were studied. CONCLUSION A history of inpatient-treated psychiatric disorder appears to be associated with an increase in suicide seasonality, especially in violent suicide methods. This increase is found in several psychiatric disorders.
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