#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth – Study Shows Season, Time Of Day When #SuicidalThoughts Most Likely

By HealthDay

Study Shows Season, Time of Day When #SuicidalThoughts Most Likely

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

(HEALTHDAY)

While people might assume #suicide is more common in the darker months of winter, it actually peaks in spring and early summer.

Researchers investigating what’s happening have found that #suicidalthoughts peak in December but then take a few months to reach a “tipping point.” People are also most vulnerable to ending their lives between 4 and 5 a.m., according to a new study.

“It is well documented that winter is the time when people with #mentalhealthproblems may struggle with worsening mood and #depression. Indeed, #seasonalaffectivedisorder is a recognized issue related to the change in season that affects many people’s #mentalhealth,” said study co-author Brian O’Shea. He is an associate professor of #psychology at the University of Nottingham in the #UnitedKingdom.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org                            Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

www.celebratingyourgiftofolife.com

It may seem surprising that spring, when someone might assume people’s moods lift, is actually a time of greatest risk, he said in a university news release.

“The reasons for this are complex, but our research shows that #suicidalthoughts and mood are the worst in December and the best in June,” O’Shea said.

“Between these two points, there is a heightened risk of #suicidalbehavior, and we feel this is occurring because the gradual improvements in their mood and energy may enable them to plan and engage in a #suicideattempt,” he explained.

For the study, more than 10,000 people in the #UnitedStates, #Canada and the #UnitedKingdom completed questionnaires and tasks about their moods and thoughts around #suicide and #self-harm over a six-year period.

The researchers created online tasks to examine explicit and implicit #self-harm thoughts, using direct questions about mood, #suicide and #self-harm. Among the tasks, participants were asked to sort words relating to the self in real-time using death and life words.

Respondents were divided into three groups: those who had previously attempted #suicide; those who had #suicidalthoughts or non-suicidal #self-injury; and those with no previous #self-harm, #suicidalthoughts or #behaviors.

Over the six years, the investigators found a general increase in thoughts of #self-harm. The season had an impact on mood and the desire to die, especially in those who had previously attempted #suicide, the findings showed.

Explicit #suicidalthoughts peaked in December, while implicit (or unconscious) #self-harm associations peaked in February. Both preceded the peak of #suicidalbehavior in spring and early summer.

“This study is the first to look at temporal trends around mood and #self-harm thoughts on such a large scale, and really pinpoints times when intervention could be most beneficial,” O’Shea said.

The study findings were published online May 12 in Translational Psychiatry.