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The christmas effect on psychopathology.
Randy A Sansone1, Lori A Sansone
1Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA. randy.sansone@khnetwork.org
Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience
|January 17, 2012
Summary
While general mood may decline and alcohol-related deaths rise during Christmas, psychiatric emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, self-harm, and suicide attempts decrease. A concerning rebound in these behaviors is observed post-holiday.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Common belief suggests increased psychopathology during the Christmas holiday season.
- Understanding holiday-related mental health trends is crucial for clinical practice and public health.
- Previous research has yielded mixed findings on holiday impacts on mental health utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review empirical evidence on the relationship between the Christmas holiday and psychopathology.
- To investigate changes in mental health service utilization and self-harm behaviors during and after the Christmas period.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive literature search of PsycINFO and PubMed databases.
- Included empirical studies examining psychopathology, mental health service use, and self-harm during the Christmas holiday.
- Synthesized findings from retrieved studies to identify trends and patterns.
Main Results:
- General mood may decline and alcohol-related fatalities may increase around Christmas.
- Psychiatric emergency room utilization, inpatient admissions, self-harm, and suicide attempts/completions show a decrease during the Christmas holiday.
- A rebound phenomenon in decreased behaviors (self-harm, suicide attempts) is observed following the Christmas holiday.
Conclusions:
- The association between Christmas and psychopathology is complex, with decreased utilization of mental health services and lower prevalence of self-harm/suicide during the holiday.
- The post-holiday rebound in psychiatric service utilization and self-harm behaviors is a significant concern for clinicians.
- Findings highlight the need for proactive mental health support strategies, particularly in the period following the Christmas holiday.
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