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Background: Changes in the suicide rate within one region over time had been hypothesised to correspond to changes in suicide seasonality: a recent investigation from Italy confirmed such an assumption. Data from Slovenia were investigated to further evaluate the links between suicide rates and seasonal amplitude., Methods: A total of 14325 male suicides and 4350 female suicides occurring in Slovenia from 1971 to 2002 were investigated with harmonic spectral analysis to extract their monthly seasonal dispersion by eight-year intervals. Changes in rate over time were analysed with a test for trend based on regression analysis., Results: The suicide rates of both males and females increased over time, with an evident peak in the 1987-1994 period and a decrease thereafter. Seasonality decreased across time in both sexes; however, no change of the peak was observed over time. The amplitude of the major 12-month cycle was slightly positively related to suicide rates, but the correlation was only statistically significant among females (P=0.0053; males: P=0.22)., Limitations: Data could not be analysed according to age, the method of suicide, or the diagnosis attributable to the deceased, since this information was not available., Conclusion: The study confirmed that the seasonal effect on mortality by suicide is positively related to suicide rates, so much so that changes in suicide rates over time correspond to changes in suicide seasonality, but in Slovenia this effect was only evident among females, further pointing towards differences by sex in the mechanics leading to suicide.

Background: Recent studies have reported changes in the time patterns of suicide, with conflicting findings regarding the direction of these changes: data from Italy were investigated to evaluate the influence of recent social and medicine-related changes on the seasonality of suicides in the country., Methods: A total of 71,227 male suicides and 26,466 female suicides occurring in Italy from 1974 to 2003 were investigated with harmonic spectral analysis to extract their monthly seasonal dispersion by five-year intervals., Results: The suicide rates of both males and females showed a rising trend, with an evident peak in the 1987-1994 period and a decrease thereafter. Seasonality of suicides, with a clear peak in spring as against the other seasons, accounted for a statistically significant proportion of total variance: around 40% among males and 39% among females. Seasonality did not change across time in a relevant way; however, an anticipation of the peak was observed in both males and females over time, with amplitude increasing or decreasing as a function of yearly suicide rates., Limitations: Data could not be analysed according to age or to the method of suicide, since this information was not available across the whole time interval., Conclusion: The seasonal effect on mortality by suicide is positively related to suicide rates, so much that changes in suicide rates over time correspond to changes in suicide seasonality.

Background: Recent studies have reported changes in the time patterns of suicide, with reduced seasonality in some European and Asian countries. Anyway conflicting data were reported on the fading of suicide seasonality, and in some countries a rising trend was reported., Methods: Harmonic spectral analysis was used to analyze all suicides in Slovenia in the years 1971 to 2002 (14,325 among males; 4350 among females). Analyses of overall changes are based on data aggregated by intervals of 8 years., Results: In both sexes, seasonal variance accounts for a statistically significant proportion of total variance (36.0% among males; 13.3% among females). Anyway in both sexes the season-attributable variance in the latest interval is considerably lower than in the preceding periods., Limitations: Data could not be analyzed according to age or to mental disorder diagnosis, since this information was not available., Conclusion: The seasonal effect on mortality by suicide is sensitive to change, but its causes seem not to be sex-dependant.