Circadian and circannual rhythms in suicide acts in Argentina: gender and age trends

TORTELLO CAMILA; MUL FEDELE MALENA L.; PLANO SANTIAGO; VIGO DANIEL

Simposio; XVII Latin American Symposium on Chronobiology; 2023

Suicide has become an increasingly prevalent issue in public health, requiring the identification and description of at-risk populations to address this problem. One of the variables that have gained interest in the field of emotional dysregulation is the influence of biological rhythms on mental disorders. Previous evidence has shown that disruptions in circadian rhythms can have significant effects on mental health. In this regard, the objective of this study is to analyze the presence of rhythmic patterns within suicides committed in Argentina between the years 2017 and 2020. Circadian and circannual patterns in the behavioral trend of suicide were evaluated taking into account age and gender (N=13271). The suicide rate was modeled using the cosinor approach to fit a cosine curve to the data. Among the main results, daily rhythmic patterns were identified in the at-risk population (15-29 years old), demonstrating a prevalence of suicides in the afternoon (acrophase: 14.3, mesor: 137), as well as a seasonal pattern characterized by an increase in cases at the beginning and end of the year (acropahse: 11.7, mesor: 423). Gender differences in suicide rhythmicity evidenced a distinct circadian pattern between women (acropahse: 15.9, mesor: 44.5) and men (acrophase: 13.2, mesor: 166.9). Examining suicide through a circadian perspective offers an opportunity to enhance comprehension of this phenomenon and facilitate the development of future countermeasures.