TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - The role of seasonality and photoperiod on the lethality of suicide attempts: a case-control study
JO  - Journal of affective disorders
A1  - Aguglia, Andrea
A1  - Serafini, Gianluca
A1  - Solano, Paola
A1  - Giacomini, Gabriele
A1  - Conigliaro, Claudia
A1  - Salvi, Virginio
A1  - Mencacci, Claudio
A1  - Romano, Miroslav
A1  - Aguglia, Eugenio
A1  - Amore, Mario
SP  - 895
EP  - 901
VL  - 246
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: The risk factors related to suicidal behaviors are complex and not yet fully known. Several studies underline how suicide results from the combination of psycho-social, biological, cultural, and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of seasonality and photoperiod on high-lethality suicide attempts (HLSA) compared with low-lethality suicide attempts (LLSA) in a sample of psychiatric inpatients. <br><br>METHODS: After attempting suicide, subjects were admitted in the emergency/psychiatric ward of the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino from 1st August 2013 to 31st July 2018. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. <br><br>RESULTS: The sample consisted of four hundred thirty-two individuals admitted for suicide attempt. One hundred thirty-three subjects (30.8%) of the sample committed a HLSA. The HLSA group peaked in the months with a higher sunlight exposure (June and July). Bivariate correlation analyses between seasonality/photoperiod in the whole sample and HLSA were positively associated with summer and highest solar intensity period. LIMITATIONS: Data were limited to a single hospital, patients' seasonal environment, meteorological variables and psychological factors. In addition, the presence of acute life-events fostering the suicidal crisis has not been investigated. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides a novel perspective on the questions surrounding the impact of seasonality and daylight exposure on lethality of suicide attempts. further studies are needed to provide deeper understandings on the delicate molecular network that links suicide behaviors, seasonality and daylight in order to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies in the future.<br><br>Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-0327
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.12.094
ID  - ref1
ER  -