Suicide Rates Don't Increase at Christmastime

Suzy Woltmann

Science

23rd December 2020

Suicide Rates Don't Increase at Christmastime

December actually has the lowest suicide rate of any month (Getty Images).

The Claim

Suicide rates rise throughout the winter holiday season.

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The claim has circulated for years, but went especially viral this year due to the pandemic. Many social media users expressed concern that what they believe to be the vast increase in suicides over the holidays would rise even further due to social isolation.

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar’s investigation found that suicides do not increase over the winter holidays. In fact, December actually has the lowest suicide rate of any month, followed by November and January. Thus the entire winter holiday season actually has the lowest rate of suicides of any time of the year.

Director of APPC’s Adolescent Communication Institute Dan Romer said: “It is unfortunate that the holiday-suicide myth persists in the press. Aside from misinforming the public, the sort of reporting misses an opportunity to shed light on the more likely causes of suicide.”

While this year may be different with the pandemic and increased social isolation, in previous years the suicide rate actually went down over Christmas.