Suicides least likely to occur during the holidays
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Suicides least likely to occur during the holidays

Date: December 12, 2011
By: Alysha Love
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
Leading researchers say once again that suicides are least common in the midst of the holiday season.

RunTime:  0:49
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Despite a media-propelled myth that the most people commit suicide when they get the holiday blues, the data say just the opposite.

Dan Romer, from the Annenberg Public Policy Center in Pennsylvania, will be releasing his research on the topic for the twelfth year in a row.

Romer says he found that, once again, the media continue to report higher suicide rates during November, December and January ... even though statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show these are the months with the least suicides.

Actuality:  ROMER2.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: It's never been true as long as people have kept records in the Northern hemisphere that there's more deaths at this time of the year due to suicide.

Romer says suicides spike in the spring and increase throughout the summer months, but no one's sure what causes this trend.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Alysha Love.

Intro: 
Suicides occur least frequently during the winter holidays, contrary to many media reports from the past decade.
RunTime:  0:37
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Dan Romer from the Annenberg Public Policy Center in Pennsylvania is churning out holiday suicide research for the twelfth year in a row.

Romer says the media are perpetuating the myth that there are more suicides during November, December and January when they produce stories about the darker side of the holidays.

In fact, suicides are least likely to occur during the holiday season.

Actuality:  ROMER1.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: We don't really know why people believe it, but it just seems to make sense, you know, and it's contrary to what you might think, so it has a certain interest value to it.

Romer says about 90 suicides occur in the U.S. every day.

From the state Capitol, I'm Alysha Love.