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?
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Content: Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
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Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
Suicide Rates Spike in Spring, Not Winter
By Marc Shapiro on 05/08/2019
Published in Dome May/June 2019
As spring brings blooming flowers and longer, brighter days, Adam Kaplin’s thoughts turn to darker subjects. The Johns Hopkins assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences focuses on depression and suicide. He knows that, contrary to popular belief, suicide rates spike in the light of spring, not the darkness of winter. “In April, May and June, the suicide rate goes up and is the highest,” Kaplin says. Those numbers can be two to three times higher than in December, when suicide rates are the lowest. In 2017, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. More than 47,000 people took their own lives. Kaplin monitors about 300 of his patients — and with increased attention this time of year — via an app he created with Remedy Health called Mood 24/7, an automated texting service that asks patients how they’re feeling once a day. The app has about 15,000 users. “I can look it up online and see how they’re doing in real time,” he says. “