This is actually a myth. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the suicide rate is, in fact, the lowest in November and December. It is speculated that around the holidays people with suicidal thoughts are offered some degree of protection by being around their relatives. The rate of suicide actually reaches its peak in the spring.
Dr. Christine Moutier, a Psychiatrist and the Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, indicates that although some people may feel down or lonely during the holiday season, it is not enough to make them take their lives. Key factors associated with suicide are mental illness, in the majority of cases, as well as a family history of suicide, trauma, and access to guns.
That does not mean that one should not be alert during the holidays or any other time to a change in a person’s mood or use of substances, including alcohol, or comments about wanting to end it all. It is important to be alert to the changes that you are noticing. It may be that the person does not have thoughts of suicide, but you don’t want to miss or ignore that this could be the case.
Suicide is a significant public health problem, and there is a lot to learn about how to prevent it. When you are concerned about something you are seeing, hearing or feeling, you ask the question, “are you thinking of suicide”? If the answer is yes, your next step is to connect the person in emotional pain to help. Most people who seriously consider suicide do not want to die. Rather, they see suicide as a solution to a problem, an option and a way to end their pain. You can be the bridge to the help they need. A caring, alert community is a safer community, and we can all contribute.
There are many ways to get involved from attending the suicide prevention coalition meetings, scheduling a safeTALK suicide prevention training for a group you are involved with, or attending a community awareness event. Be the one to get involved. For more information contact Susan at sjenkins@bridges-mccasa.org.