RAISR4D Suicide

Association between sunshine hours and suicide attempts: Evidence from a retrospective study in Southern India

20/05/2026

AI Summary

Lower sunshine duration strongly correlated with increased suicide attempts (r = -0.81; P = 0.001).
Attempts peaked in July; sunshine was highest February to May; most frequent in early evening and on Fridays.
Majority of cases were female (69%) and adults aged 19 to 59 (73%); medication overdose was the leading method (46%).

Indian J Psychiatry. 2026 Apr;68(4):379-382. doi: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_998_25. Epub 2026 Apr 18.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a growing public health concern in India. While psychological and sociocultural factors are well studied, the role of climatic influences like sunshine duration remains underexplored.

AIMS: To investigate seasonal patterns in suicide attempts and assess the relationship between suicide incidence and sunshine duration in southern India.

METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 411 suicide attempt cases from July 2017 to June 2022 at a tertiary hospital in Chennai. Demographic and clinical data were extracted, and sunshine duration was sourced from the India Meteorological Department.

RESULTS: Most attempts involved females (69%) and adults aged 19-59 (73%). Medication overdose was the leading method (46%). Attempts peaked in July, while sunshine was the highest in February-May. A strong inverse correlation was found (r = -0.81; P = 0.001). Attempts were most frequent in the early evening and on Fridays.

CONCLUSION: Lower sunshine duration correlates with increased suicide attempts, highlighting the need to integrate environmental factors into prevention strategies.

PMID:42158509 | PMC:PMC13183299 | DOI:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry_998_25

Document this CPD