Holidays & Suicide

As we move into what’s usually a gloomy time of year, it can be a tough time for many people.

But experts say it’s a myth that the holidays cause an uptick in suicides.

Even so, crisis unit program manager Eliisa Laitila at Dial Help — a U.P. crisis hotline — says that during these past holidays, there actually were more suicide distress calls received by their center than usual.

She says that may be because people are really getting the message heard about free services like the national suicide prevention lifeline.

There are times of the year when the suicide rate does spike, but it’s not when you think.

Laitila explains that the highest numbers of suicides are in the spring and summer.