We hate to say this as writers, but you shouldn’t always believe what you read. The press and electronic media have persistently promulgated the myth that people are more likely to kill themselves at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s than at any other time of the year. Over 30 percent of news reports on the subject still disseminate this misinformation. The myth is fueled by a kind of counterintuitive logic that severely depressed people become even more deeply depressed during this period of enforced good cheer. Not only does this turn out false, but there are actually fewer suicides during the holiday season than other times of the year. Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that suicide rates are actually at their lowest in December, while peaking in the spring and fall. The speculation is that, at holiday time, people with a tendency toward depression have a stronger support system of family and friends than they would otherwise.
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"Are there more suicides during the holiday season?" was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 9:03 pm.