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Schneider, A.E. ; Hampel, R. ; Ladwig, K.-H. ; Baumert, J.J. ; Lukaschek, K. ; Peters, A. ; Breitner-Busch, S.

Impact of meteorological parameters on suicide mortality rates: A case-crossover analysis in Southern Germany (1990-2006).

Sci. Total Environ. 707:136053 (2020)

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Background: There is evidence for a seasonal pattern of suicides with peaks in spring and early summer; however, only a limited number of studies has investigated whether daily changes in meteorological variables may trigger suicides.Methods: Daily fatal suicide (N = 10,595) and meteorological data were available for four Bavarian cities and ten counties (Germany) for 1990-2006. City/county-specific immediate, delayed and cumulative effects of air temperature, sunshine duration, and cloud cover on suicides were analyzed using a time-stratified case-crossover approach; city/county-specific effects were then combined using random effects meta-analysis. Potential effect modifiers were specific weather conditions, personal or regional characteristics, and season.Results: A 5 degrees C increase in air temperature on the day before a suicide compared to the control days was associated with a 5.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6; 11.0) higher suicide risk. Further, the suicide risk was 6.5% (95% CI: 0.2; 13.3) higher on days with low/medium cloud cover (0-6 oktas) compared to days with high cloud cover (7-8 oktas). While daily changes in temperature were not associated with suicides in spring, we found a higher suicide risk in summer, autumn, and winter in association with temperature increases. The effects of cloud cover were strongest in summer and autumn and on days with temperature above the median (>8.8 degrees C). Sunshine duration was not associated with suicides.Conclusion: We found a higher risk for suicides in association with short-term increases in air temperature on the day before the event compared to the control days and on days with low to medium cloud cover. This may highlight times when people are more likely to commit suicide.

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Publication type Article: Journal article

Document type Scientific Article

Corresponding Author

Keywords Suicides ; Air Temperature ; Sunshine Duration ; Cloud Cover ; Case-crossover; Environmental-temperature; Ambient-temperature; Risk-factors; Duration; Radiation; Patterns; Smoking; Finland; System; Death

ISSN (print) / ISBN 0048-9697

e-ISSN 1879-1026

Journal Science of the Total Environment, The

Quellenangaben Volume: 707, Article Number: 136053

Publisher Elsevier

Publishing Place Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands

Non-patent literature Publications

Reviewing status Peer reviewed

Institute(s) Institute of Epidemiology II (EPI2)