Constant sunlight linked to summer suicide spike

May 7, 2009
sky, sun

Suicide rates in Greenland increase during the summer, peaking in June. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry speculate that insomnia caused by incessant daylight may be to blame.

Karin Sparring Björkstén from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, led a team of researchers who studied the seasonal variation of suicides in all of from 1968-2002. They found that there was a concentration of suicides in the summer months, and that this seasonal effect was especially pronounced in the North of the country - an area where the sun doesn't set between the end of April and the end of August. Björkstén said, "In terms of seasonal light variation, Greenland is the most extreme human habitat.

Greenland also has one of the highest rates in the world. We found that suicides were almost exclusively violent and increased during periods of constant day. In the north of the country, 82% of the suicides occurred during the daylight months (including astronomical twilight)".

The researchers found that most suicides occurred in young men and that violent methods, such as shooting, hanging and jumping, accounted for 95% of all suicides. No seasonal variation in alcohol consumption was found. The authors speculate that light-generated imbalances in turnover of the neurotransmitter serotonin may lead to increased impulsiveness that, in combination with lack of sleep, may explain the increased suicide rates in the summer. They said, "People living at high latitudes need extreme flexibility in light adaptation. During the long periods of constant light, it is crucial to keep some circadian rhythm to get enough sleep and sustain mental health. A weak serotonin system may cause difficulties in adaptation".

Björkstén concludes, "Light is just one of many factors in the complex tragedy of suicide, but this study shows that there is a possible relationship between the two."

More information: Accentuation of suicides but not homicides with rising latitudes of Greenland in the sunny months, Karin S Björkstén, Daniel F Kripke and Peter Bjerregaard, BMC (in press), http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpsychiatry/

Source: BioMed Central (news : web)

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

Bob_Kob
May 08, 2009

Rank: 4.5 / 5 (2)
Uhh wasnt there a study saying this in winter because of lack of sunlight?...
Soylent
May 08, 2009

Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Uhh wasnt there a study saying this in winter because of lack of sunlight?...


Yes, and?
Bob_Kob
May 08, 2009

Rank: 3 / 5 (3)
They then contradict. If one says suicide increases in winter due to lack of sunlight and then an other says it increases in summer due to too much sunlight it sounds like people are just suiciding all year round...
Soylent
May 08, 2009

Rank: 4.5 / 5 (4)
They then contradict.


No.
TLO
May 08, 2009

Rank: not rated yet
They then contradict. If one says suicide increases in winter due to lack of sunlight and then an other says it increases in summer due to too much sunlight it sounds like people are just suiciding all year round...



I don't see it that way. I see it as humans need a ballance of dark and light to maintain a healthy brain. Too much light and your at higher risk. Not rnough light and your at risk. Moderation.
Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • We the immaterial soul
    created3 hours ago
  • Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Exercise and weight loss
    createdFeb 08, 2012
  • Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
    createdFeb 07, 2012
  • "The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • Oncolytic adenovirus
    createdFeb 04, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences

More news stories

Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 20 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (52) | comments 20 | with audio podcast

Steroid injections prove effective in treatment of lumbar disc herniations

The use of epidural steroid injections may be a more efficient treatment option for lumbar disc herniations, according to research presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 20 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Teen school drop-outs three times as likely to be on benefits in later life

Teen school drop-outs are almost three times as likely to be on benefits in later life as their peers who complete their schooling, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Medicine & Health / Health

created Feb 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 11

Amateur football players not always keen on returning to play after ACL injuries

Despite the known success rates of reconstructive Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery, the number of high school and collegiate football players returning to play may not be as high as anticipated, say researchers presenting ...

Medicine & Health / Health

created 20 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon

(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...

Latin America mining boom clashes with conservation

Latin America is experiencing a mining boom as prices rise fuelled by a hike in global demand, but the region is also being hit by a wave of violent protests, strikes and rallies by environmentalists.

Love a click away in Indonesia's Twitter Republic

He was a geeky kid from Yogyakarta, she a glamorous city girl in Jakarta. In a country with one of the world's most vibrant social networking scenes they fell in love on Twitter.

Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear

A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.

Europeans protest controversial Internet pact

Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.