Suisidal attempts and meteorological factors

• Published in: Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi (Japanese Journal of Hygiene) Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 398 - 402
• Main Authors: Kato, Katsuo, Sugawara, Masatoshi, Tsushima, Seizo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Japanese Society for Hygiene 1961
• ISSN: 0021-5082; 1882-6482
• DOI: 10.1265/jjh.16.398

Generally speaking, cases of suicide are more frequent in spring and summer than in the other seasons. Therefore, the authors suspected some influence of the meteorological effects including atmospheric temperature and pressure etc. on the mental factor leading to suisidal attempts, and according to the investigation on the correlation between seasonal factors and the frequency of suicidal cases, the following results were obtained. The monthly number of suicides was found to have a positive correlation to the monthly mean values of atmospheric temperature and hours of sunshine, and negative correlation to the atmospheric pressure, but no relation to the atmospheric humidity. Attempts of suicide occurred frequently when the barometer indicated a pressure below the annual mean, and more frequently during the atmospheric pressure was dropping down, than during it was rising. Unsuccessful attempts of suicide tended to be more frequent among females than among males. Suicide or its attempts among subjects below 20 years of age were far more frequent among girls than among boys.