CDC Data Debunks Holiday Suicide Myth as International Survivors Day Highlights Need for Accurate Information

As communities prepare to observe International Survivors of Suicide Day on November 22nd, new analysis of CDC data confirms a critical public health reality that contradicts widespread public perception: suicide rates actually decrease during the holiday season, with December consistently showing the lowest average daily suicide rates of the year. This finding directly challenges the persistent holiday suicide myth that has been perpetuated through media coverage and public discourse, potentially undermining effective suicide prevention efforts during periods of actual higher risk.

According to analysis of CDC data from 2022 and 2023, December ranked 12th in suicide rates among all months, with November ranking 11th and January ranking 10th. In stark contrast, the highest suicide rates occurred during spring and summer months, with June, July, and August ranking first, second, and third respectively. This seasonal pattern has remained consistent over several decades and is observed in the southern hemisphere as well, where suicide rates peak during their summer months (December-February), confirming that suicide rates are primarily influenced by seasonal factors rather than holiday-specific stressors.

The persistence of the holiday suicide myth represents a significant challenge for suicide prevention efforts. The Annenberg Public Policy Center has tracked media reports on suicide since 2000 and found that during the 2023-2024 holiday season, 58% of articles linking the holidays and suicide perpetuated the holiday suicide myth, while only 42% debunked it. This pattern of media coverage has ensured the misconception remains deeply embedded in public consciousness, as evidenced by a nationally representative survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in 2023 where four out of five adults incorrectly selected December as the time of year with the largest number of suicides.

The CDC has emphatically stated that the holiday suicide myth supports misinformation and might actually hinder prevention efforts by diverting attention and resources away from periods of actual higher suicide risk. This concern comes amid broader challenges in suicide prevention, with more than 49,300 people dying by suicide in 2023, making it the 11th leading cause of death nationally and the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-34. An estimated 1.5 million Americans attempted suicide in 2023, and 5.3% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months.

Compounding these challenges are concerns about mental health treatment approaches. According to new data released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics in 2025, more than 1 in 10 U.S. adults took prescription medication for depression in 2023, with women (15.3%) more than twice as likely to take these medications as men (7.4%). Research published in Pediatrics in 2024 revealed that antidepressant dispensing to adolescents and young adults increased by 66.3% from January 2016 to December 2022, with the rate of increase accelerating by 63.5% after the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. This expansion in antidepressant usage has occurred despite documented evidence that side effects from these medications can include suicidal thoughts and feelings.

Further complicating suicide prevention efforts is research challenging the efficacy of suicide risk assessments. In a 2017 Scientific American article available at https://www.scientificamerican.com, psychiatrists Declan Murray and Patrick Devitt reported that 40 years of research on suicide risk assessment determined there is no statistical method to identify patients at high-risk of suicide in a way that would improve treatment. As International Survivors of Suicide Day approaches, the focus shifts to honoring those who have lost loved ones to suicide and supporting survivors while emphasizing the critical need for accurate, evidence-based information about suicide prevention and mental health treatment approaches.