There is a widespread myth that suicide rates increase in and around Christmas and New Year's Eve. This myth has gained a lot of currency because it is frequently repeated in news stories about Christmas. In fact, the month of December actually tends to have fewer suicides than any other month of the year.
In a press release on the topic, the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign noted that "November and December rank the lowest in daily rates of suicide." In the United States, it is April -- not December -- that is usually the peak month for suicides.
Despite that, the myth about December suicides is so pervasive that the NMHAC cites a University of Pennsylvania study that found that "two out of three newspaper stories incorrectly link suicides to the holidays or create a direct relationship between the holidays and suicides."
In the U.S., suicide is the eighth leading cause of death and the third leading cause of death among teenagers.
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_________________ "Am I a man dreaming of a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of a man?"
I would have tp agree that suisides are prevelent in April. A few Aprils ago, I was going though a hard time.. and contemplates suiside in April. It's fairly common to be depressed in such a dreery month. Final exams are coming up, You start to hear back from the colleges and universities you have applyed to. You start figuring out how much life truely sucks and how you are dreams are coming crashing down. It's just generally a really crappy month. At least in December you have the possibility of presents. Though if you were spending the holidays alone, I'm sure you could feel pretty bad.
Marianne
_________________ - I'm like a blow up doll.....only better
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