SUICIDE, SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, AND WEATHER
ALEX D. POKORNY M.D.1,
FRED DAVIS B.A.2, , and
WAYNE HARBERSON B.S.3
1 Chief, Psychiatry and Neurology Serv., VA Hospital, Houston, Texas.
2 Junior Med. Student, Baylor University College of Medicine.
3 Teaching Fellow, Dept. of Psychology, University of Houston.
The 67 suicides and 373 suicide attempts occurring in Houston in 1960, in which the time of occurrence could be established, were studied in terms of weather conditions at time of their occurrence. Eleven weather variables (temperature, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity, visibility, ceiling height, rain, fog, thunderstorms, and cloudiness) were studied. The distribution of each for all hours of the year was obtained, and this was compared with the distribution during those hours in which a suicide or suicide attempt occurred. No single significant relationship was found. The 28 northerly fronts of 1960 were not found to be associated with any change in rate of suicide or suicide attempts. Month and season likewise showed no significant relationship. It is concluded that suicide and suicide attempts are not significantly related to weather phenomena.
