Suicides don't actually spike in winter

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The holiday-suicide link is a myth By Haley Weiss Health Reporter Winter can be a stressful time, with shorter, gloomier days and the pressure of the holidays. This might be partly why a common misconception about mental health pops up every year about this time: that more people die by suicide around the winter holidays. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth, says Dan Romer, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, whose new report on the subject was published yesterday. Here's what his data show: December tends to have one of the lowest suicide rates of any month—suggesting a protective effect of the holidays. Still, the media perpetuates the myth. 40% of stories published by news organizations about suicide during the 2022-2023 holiday season suggest a holiday-suicide link, the authors estimate. Christmas movies may play a role in reinforcing this misconception. Some of the classics, like It's A Wonderful Life, have themes that prompt viewers to “imagine what the world would be like if you weren’t here,” says Romer. Members of the media should work year-round to make sure that only data-based information about suicide is shared, Romer says, to avoid doing more harm than good. READ THE REST Share This Story

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AN EXPERT VOICE "People say, 'Everybody's going to get [COVID-19].' That's probably true, but it doesn't mean you need to get it three or four or five times. Reduce that number [as much as possible] for your health." —Dr. David Smith, chief of infectious diseases and global public health at UC San Diego Health

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