Longer days spur suicides

Frontiersman

Spring is a time of new growth and hope. It’s also a season for suicides in Alaska

Gene Wiseman, ambulance chief for the Central Mat-Su Fire Department, said every year it feels like suicides rise briefly in the spring and fall.

“But that’s just personal observation,” Wiseman said. “I’ve never really looked at stats.”

When the snow disappears each year Wiseman tells himself, “It’s time to get ready.”

“I don’t know if it’s cabin fever or it’s the transition of seasons,” he said. “I don’t know why it is that way.”

Sgt. Robert French with the Alaska State Troopers said he has the same perception, but also hasn’t looked at the statistics.

On a state level, James Gallanos with the Department of Health and Social Services said it’s difficult to pinpoint any particular time when suicides are more common. A department study examining suicides from 2003 to 2006 shows that suicides seem to remain steady from month to month.

A federally funded study from the Alaska Violent Death Reporting System looks at statistics from 2003 to 2005 and shows more variation. According to that study, May is the lowest month with a combined 25 suicides over the years studied and June is the highest with more than 45.

“The lowest month and the highest month are right next to each other,” Gallanos said.

Gallanos said he’s heard a number of theories. June is when commercial fishing starts to ramp up. October, when there’s another increase, is when folks have their Permanent Fund Dividend checks in hand and are more prone to binge drink.

One thing’s for sure, he said — suicides don’t follow the pattern most people seem to think they do.

“I think that’s a myth that we kind of perpetuate in the state is that there’s more suicides in the winter months,” Gallanos said. “Our data doesn’t show that.”