PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Every year, false news reports are published about suicide rates rising around the holidays, but experts at Penn are pushing back against that narrative.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center started monitoring publications that reported about a rise in suicide during the winter holidays around 2000.
Research Director Dan Romer said the outlets often published the stories without looking at the facts.
“The Christmas holidays are not the time when people are particularly vulnerable,” he said. “The holidays are a time of joy and family and if there are people out there that are thinking about dying by suicide you don’t wanna tell them this is the time to do it.”
Romer said according to CDC data, December has the lowest average daily suicide rate of any month. The months with the highest averages are in the spring and summer. He said reporting on suicide during the holidays could distract from those higher risk months and also raise the incidence in the lower months.
“People hear about someone dying by suicide and they feel somehow related to that person,” said Romer. “They think that person’s like them. That increases the risk to them.”
The origin of the myth is unknown, but Romer believes somehow the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart played a role in its rise.
“I’m not a praying man but if you’re up there and you can hear me, show me the way,” Stewart says in a famous line from the film about a man thinking about ending his life on Christmas Eve.
Annenberg also warned that awareness of the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline remains low with about 12% of adults being able to recall the number.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.