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Suicides and the lunar cycle

J M Gutiérrez-García1, F Tusell

  • 1Departamento de Estadística y Econometría, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad del País Vasco, Bilbao, Spain.

Psychological Reports
|February 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated lunar influence on suicide rates using a permutation test on 897 deaths. The findings indicate no significant relationship between lunar phases and suicide frequency.

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Area of Science:

  • Forensic science
  • Psychiatry
  • Astronomy

Background:

  • Anecdotal beliefs and some previous studies have suggested a link between lunar cycles and human behavior, including suicide.
  • A rigorous scientific investigation is needed to confirm or refute these claims.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To statistically evaluate the potential influence of lunar phases on the frequency of suicide.
  • To determine if there is a correlation between specific moon phases and suicide occurrences.

Main Methods:

  • A permutation test, a robust statistical method, was employed.
  • Data from 897 suicide deaths, precisely timed, were analyzed.
  • The study utilized data from the Anatomical Forensic Institute of Madrid.

Main Results:

  • The permutation test revealed no statistically significant relationship between lunar phases and the frequency of suicide.
  • Analysis of accurately timed suicide deaths did not support any lunar influence.

Conclusions:

  • The study concludes that lunar phases do not appear to influence the frequency of suicide.
  • Rigorous statistical analysis of precise data refutes the hypothesis of a lunar-suicide connection.

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