Kalediene Ramune, Starkuviene Skirmante, Petrauskiene Jadvyga
Department of Social Medicine, Kaunas University of Medicine, A. Mickeviciaus St 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania.
BMC Public Health. 2006 Feb 22;6:40. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-6-40.
In Lithuania, suicides are a grave public health problem, requiring more extensive investigation. The aim of the study was to assess the seasonal variations of suicides in Lithuania throughout the years 1993-2002, describing patterns by gender, age and method of suicide.
The study material consisted of all registered suicides (n = 16,147) committed throughout 1993-2002 in Lithuania. Smoothed trends were inspected. The seasonal effect was explored using monthly ratio statistics and spectral analysis.
Suicides in Lithuania have a distinct annual rhythm with peaks in summer and troughs in December. The December frequencies fell by more than 23% in men and 30% in women, while June peak reached nearly 23% in men and July peak exceeded 29% in women, compare with the average levels, (p < 0.05). Hanging was the most common method of suicide both in men and women comprising up to 90% among all suicides in 1998-2002. Among different methods, only hanging suicides showed significant seasonal variations, especially in men. The seasonal amplitude has decreased over time.
Substantial seasonal variations in suicides were associated with a high proportion of hanging. Extremely high suicide rates in Lithuania require further extensive studies and urgent preventive programs, taking into account the suggestions of this survey.
在立陶宛，自杀是一个严重的公共卫生问题，需要更广泛的调查。本研究的目的是评估1993年至2002年立陶宛自杀的季节性变化，按性别、年龄和自杀方式描述其模式。
研究材料包括1993年至2002年立陶宛境内所有登记的自杀案例（n = 16147）。检查了平滑趋势。使用月度比率统计和频谱分析探讨了季节性影响。
立陶宛的自杀有明显的年度节律，夏季为高峰，12月为低谷。与平均水平相比，12月男性自杀频率下降超过23%，女性下降30%，而6月男性高峰接近23%，7月女性高峰超过29%（p < 0.05）。上吊是男性和女性最常见的自杀方式，在1998 - 2002年所有自杀案例中占比高达90%。在不同的自杀方式中，只有上吊自杀表现出显著的季节性变化，尤其是在男性中。季节性幅度随时间有所下降。
自杀的显著季节性变化与上吊比例较高有关。立陶宛极高的自杀率需要进一步广泛研究和紧急预防计划，应考虑本调查的建议。
