Title: Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
Headings: Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
Q: What does science say about this phenomenon?
Q: How much higher is that risk?
Q: You treat patients with multiple sclerosis. Are patients with autoimmune diseases more prone to depression?
Q: Is inflammation elevated in patients with depression?
Q: Do other seasonal factors contribute to the higher rate of suicide?
Q: What happens to the suicide rate after the spring?
Q: Is the spring peak in suicide reflected in your patients who are on the Mood 24/7 app?
Q: Is the spring peak in depression affected by geographical latitude?
Q: Do climate change and pollution play a role in suicide and depression?
Q: How does the psychiatric department at Johns Hopkins handle mental health emergencies?
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Warning Signs and What to Do

Content: People who have depression from unknown causes without an autoimmune disease have elevated levels of inflammation compared with people who don’t have depression, but the levels are not nearly as high as in those with an autoimmune disease. In the case of patients with MS, we have evidence that blocking inflammation also helps treat depression. Q: Do other seasonal factors contribute to the higher rate of suicide? A: I believe that those who may have spent the winter depressed find themselves, in the spring, still depressed, but with the energy and motivation to take their own life. I also think spring is particularly tough for people who are depressed because after a largely solitary winter, those people emerge into a world full of rebirth, rejuvenation and revelry. In contrast, they feel dark and sad. Q: What happens to the suicide rate after the spring?