The Link Between Mondays and New Year’s Eve in Global Suicide Rates
A newly published analysis, based on data from 26 countries, found that the risk of suicide peaks on Mondays and New Year’s Day.
However, the risk on weekends and holidays such as Christmas varies by country and region.
This important finding highlights the need to develop suicide prevention strategies for specific time periods and demographic groups.
Suicide variations during weekly and holiday periods
Previous studies have shown that the risk of suicide varies depending on the days of the week.
However, studies on the relationship between major holidays and suicide rates have been limited.
In this study, more than 1.7 million suicide cases obtained from 740 points in 26 countries and regions between 1971 and 2019 were analyzed.
The highest suicide rates during the study period were seen in South Korea, Japan, South Africa, and Estonia, while the lowest rates were recorded in the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, and Paraguay.
In general, it was determined that the majority of suicide cases were in men and in people between the ages of 0-64.
Regional differences and timings
In all countries, the risk of suicide was higher on Mondays than on other days (about 15-18 percent).
While the risk on weekends was low in some countries, an increase in risk was observed on weekends in regions such as South and Central American countries, Finland, and South Africa.
While the risk of suicide increased in all countries on New Year’s Day, especially among men, rates on Christmas Day varied by region.
Implications for suicide prevention efforts
Researchers state that factors such as stress caused by work pressure on Mondays and increased alcohol consumption on New Year’s Eve and weekends may trigger this condition.
It also found that the risk of suicide on other national holidays decreased slightly in most countries, but in Central and South American countries, the risk increased a day or two after the holiday.
These observational findings provide important data that could help create more targeted suicide prevention programs on a global scale.
Researchers stated that the risk of suicide varies according to the days of the week and holiday periods, and that these findings provide guidance for future studies.
