As communities prepare to observe International Survivors of Suicide Day on November 22nd, new attention is being drawn to a persistent misconception about suicide patterns during the holiday season. Analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reveals that suicide rates actually decrease in December, ranking as the lowest month for suicide incidence throughout the year. This finding directly contradicts the widely held belief that suicide attempts surge during the holiday period, a misconception that may be undermining effective suicide prevention efforts.
Despite substantial investments in mental health resources, suicide remains a critical public health concern in the United States. More than 49,300 people died by suicide in 2023, making it the 11th leading cause of death nationally and the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-34. The scope of the crisis extends beyond completed suicides, with an estimated 1.5 million Americans attempting suicide in 2023 and 5.3% of U.S. adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months. These statistics persist even as mental health spending continues to grow, with excess costs from mental health inequities alone reaching an estimated $477.5 billion in 2024.
The perpetuation of the holiday suicide myth has been significantly influenced by media coverage patterns. According to tracking by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, during the 2023-2024 holiday season, 58% of articles linking the holidays and suicide perpetuated the myth, while only 42% debunked it. This media representation has contributed to public misunderstanding, with a nationally representative survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in 2023 showing that four out of five adults incorrectly selected December as the time of year when the largest number of suicides occur.
CDC analysis of 2022 and 2023 data provides definitive evidence against the holiday suicide narrative. December consistently had the lowest average daily suicide rate of the year, ranking 12th among all months. November ranked 11th and January ranked 10th, while the highest suicide rates occurred during spring and summer months, with June, July, and August ranking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively. This seasonal pattern has remained consistent over decades and is observed internationally, with southern hemisphere countries experiencing peak suicide rates during their summer months (December-February), indicating that seasonal factors rather than holiday-specific stressors primarily influence suicide rates.
Beyond misinformation concerns, questions have emerged about current mental health treatment approaches. New data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics shows more than 1 in 10 U.S. adults took prescription medication for depression in 2023, with women (15.3%) more than twice as likely to take these medications as men (7.4%). The prevalence of depression in U.S. adolescents and adults increased 60% in the past decade, while antidepressant dispensing to adolescents and young adults increased by 66.3% from January 2016 to December 2022. Research published in Pediatrics in 2024 noted this increase accelerated by 63.5% after the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, despite documented evidence that side effects from these medications can include suicidal thoughts and feelings.
The effectiveness of suicide risk assessment methods has also been questioned. A 2017 Scientific American article reported that 40 years of research on suicide risk assessment determined there is no statistical method to identify patients at high-risk of suicide in a way that would improve treatment. As International Survivors of Suicide Day approaches, the focus shifts to supporting those who have lost loved ones to suicide while emphasizing the importance of evidence-based information about suicide prevention and mental health treatment alternatives. For additional resources, visit https://www.cchrflorida.org.
