I’ve read that the month of April has the highest suicide rate of any month. Why would this be the case?
I can’t think of anything so terribly depressing about the month of April that it would drive people to take their own lives, except maybe the beginning of yet another baseball season. I suppose the income tax deadline could be a factor here as well.
Furthermore, we’ve all heard about S.A.D., which should make the suicide rate higher during the darker winter months than in the spring. But it isn’t. Why not?
I’ve heard an explanation for April being bad for suicides, but I don’t know if it’s justified by research. Supposedly, if you’re depressed all winter, you think, “Well, things might get better, winter is always horrible, it’ll soon be spring. I’ll not kill myself just yet.” But when the weather starts to warm up, and it gets all nice and sunny outside, and people realise they’re still as miserable as ever, they think that things aren’t ever going to improve, and kill themselves. It’s the fact that everything else is brightening up, but you’re as badly off as ever that makes you even more depressed.
Here’s something people may not have heard of. There’s a theory, or at least hypothesis, that suicide is more likely during an intermediate phase as depression abates. When depression is “over” people generally feel an incentive to live. But when depression is at a maximum people also are not likely to commit suicide because of extreme lethargy, lack of ability to focus on a suicide plan, and so on. Obviously these factors depend on the individual kind and depth of depression. In any event, in the intermediate phase between these two times there is plenty of energy and ability to focus. And the person may not be optimistic or patient for continued recovery as they “should” be.
Hence the “counterintuitive” pattern. And it would fit in well with seasonal change for those affected by it.
When I worked at a crisis center at college, I was told that in the spring when the weather is nice, people are outdoors enjoying themselves, particularly with other people. The contrast between this and a depressed person’s perception of their own life can be a precipitating event for suicide. I don’t know if this has any basis from research; it’s probably anecdotal, but believable nonetheless.
Also, I’ve always heard that the suicide rate plummets during times of war (that is, “real” war such as WWII, where the nation is mobilized) because of the increased sense of belonging to a cause and culture. Again, I don’t know if this has any basis in fact.
This is just my WAG and ventures into IMHO territory. I always feel down during spring. Depressed is the wrong word, but certainly tired. I do think this and suicide rate is connected to season. In april, we’re ‘running on empty’ so to speak. We build up strength during the summer months, including a lot ofvitamins, that we get from sunlight ASF. Come April, we’ve just about emptied the reserves and are getting ready to get charged again during the coming summer. Someone who’s suicidal might be pushed that final step when the body’s resources are at its minimum.