A Population-Level Study Concerning the Assumed Association Between Suicide Rates and Antidepressant Consumption in Hungary.

BACKGROUND: It has been claimed that the advent of modern antidepressants has reduced the suicide rate. AIMS: To examine the correlation between the suicide rate and the prescription of antidepressants. METHOD: A dynamic regression was employed to analyze a 73-month-long, monthly time series between 2010 and 2016 in Hungary. The independent variable was the Defined Daily Dose value for the number of antidepressant (AD) prescriptions filled each month. RESULTS: The models failed to show a significant association between the prescription of antidepressants and age- and sex-specific monthly suicide rates. CONCLUSIONS: The prescription of antidepressants in Hungary has had no impact on suicide rates.

[Forty years (1979-2019) of our working group in the service of Hungarian and international suicidology]. / Munkacsoportunk 40 éves tevékenysége (1979­2019) a hazai és a nemzetközi szuicidológia szolgálatában.

In our study we have summarised the various fields of our suicide research made in the last 40 years. We have devided our whole publications into thematic chapters: cultural-history, regional differences, follow-up studies, prenvention, ecological researches, mostly sociology. Some of them had been firstly published in Hungarian or/and also in international literature. We repeatedly reiterate the importance of writing a Hungarian suicide prevention program. We agree with the opinion: "Suicide prevention is far more than a psychiatric business".

[The effect of birthday in the fluctuation of suicides in Hungary(1970-2002)]. / A születésnap hatása az öngyilkossági számok alakulására Magyarországon (1970-2002).

Authors review the literature related to the suicide and the victims' birthday, but they have not found study, which have shown a strong connection. They investigated a large Hungarian sample using the well-known methods, but they have applied also a new one supposing they will found some connection. All the three methods have shown a strong relationship between the date of birthday and the date of suicide among man in all age-groups: namely, much more man committed suicide on his birthday than on other days of the year. Only a slight significant connection they found among the female aged 60 and more. Authors did search the conceivable causes (sociologic, cultural etc.) but they have not found any explanation. The cause is presumably is the special sensibility of the Hungarian man.

The impact of holidays on suicide in Hungary.

The suicide rate on religious and public holidays was examined for 133,699 suicides for Hungary for the period 1970-2002. For both men and women, more suicides were committed on Monday, while fewer were committed on the weekends. More suicides occurred on New Year's Day than expected. On Christmas Day and on Easter Sunday and Monday, suicides were less frequent only for men, a result consistent with Durkheim's theory. There was less evidence for Gabennesch's broken promise effect on the days after the holidays. National holidays had no impact on the frequency of suicide.

Seasonal fluctuation of suicide in Hungary between 1970-2000.

The authors studied the seasonal fluctuation of suicide events in Hungary in a 31-year period. A summer maximum and a winter minimum were found in both genders. A second autumn peak did not occur among women. The suicide rate of Hungary fell markedly in 1998, parallel with the fundamental political-economical-social changes in the country. After 1988 the ANOVA statistic did show a moderate decrease in the seasonal fluctuation but only among those under 29 years of age. This young generation was the real "winner" of the deep social changes which suggests an indirect connection between the decrease of the seasonal fluctuation of suicide and the socio-political changes.

[The effect of public holidays on the suicide drive (frequency) in Hungary (1970-2002)]. / Az ünnepek hatása az öngyilkossági hajlandóságra Magyarországon (1970-2002).

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between suicide frequency and the days of the week and major public holidays in Hungary (1970-2002). The analysis was based on data of approximately 140,000 suicides. The authors intended to examine whether the "broken promise effect" (Gabennesch), which is cited with increasing frequency in the literature, is valid also in Hungary or not. RESULTS: Suicides occur most frequently on Monday and least on weekends for both males and females. On the days of Christmas and Easter the suicide drive has decreased among males only. The first day of the year is associated with a large increase of suicide risk in both genders, while there appears to be no change in suicide-frequency on the public holidays of 1st May and 20th August. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study confirm the validity of the "broken-promise effect" theory also under Hungarian circumstances. It is a very important to know that suicides do not show an increase on and before weekend and public holidays, but after the following day(s). This finding can be an important aspect when preventive measures are adopted.