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Pediatric psychiatric emergency department visits during a full moon

Shyama Kamat1, Vincenzo Maniaci, Marc Yves-Rene Linares

  • 1From the *Miami Children's Hospital and †Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL.

Pediatric Emergency Care
|November 20, 2014
PubMed

Insights

This study found no evidence that the full moon influences pediatric psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits. The number of visits during full moons was similar to non-full moon periods, indicating no lunar cycle effect on child mental health emergencies.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Lunar Cycle Research

Background:

  • Anecdotal beliefs suggest lunar cycles impact human behavior and mental health.
  • Previous studies have explored the lunar effect on adult psychiatric visits with mixed results.
  • The influence of the lunar cycle on pediatric psychiatric emergencies remains largely unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that the lunar cycle affects the number of pediatric psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits.
  • To determine if full moon phases correlate with an increase in pediatric mental health crisis presentations.
  • To provide empirical data on the relationship between lunar phases and pediatric psychiatric ED utilization.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of pediatric psychiatric ED visits from 2009-2011 at Miami Children's Hospital.
  • Inclusion criteria: patients aged 4-21 with primary psychiatric complaints; exclusion: secondary medical conditions.
  • Comparison of visit numbers on full moon dates (including "full moon effect" dates) versus control dates using independent t-tests.

Main Results:

  • A total of 559 pediatric psychiatric ED visits were analyzed over the study period.
  • Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in visit frequency between full moon and control dates.
  • The lunar cycle did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on the number of pediatric psychiatric ED visits.

Conclusions:

  • The findings indicate that the full moon does not influence the number of psychiatric visits in a pediatric emergency department.
  • Results align with studies on adult populations, suggesting a lack of lunar cycle impact on psychiatric visit volume.
  • This research debunks the myth of the full moon affecting pediatric mental health emergencies.
Abstract

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