Association between parasuicide and Saint Valentine's Day

Experience in a casualty department suggested to us that an unusually high number of patients who had taken an overdose of drugs presented on Saint Valentine's Day (14 February). Previous studies have shown an association between parasuicide (non-fatal deliberate self harm) and stressful events such as an unsuccessful relationship, unemployment, and physical illness.' The festival of Saint Valentine's Day may induce stress due to unrequited love, but to our knowledge the incidence of parasuicide on this day has not been determined. We therefore investigated the association between Saint Valentine's Day and parasuicide.

Author: Davenport, S. &, Birtle, J. (1990)

The 95% confidence intervals for the numbers of cases indicated an association with Saint Valentine's Day and, to a lesser extent, with Christmas Day. Significant differences in age were found among the patients according to the day of presentation: those who presented on Saint Valentine's Day and Christmas Day (median age 21 and 22 respectively) were younger than those who presented on the control days (7 February, age 28; 15 August, age 31) (p<OOl, Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance). The proportion of patients who were adolescent (defined as those aged 12-202) was higher on Saint Valentine's Day (45%) and Christmas Day (36%) than on the control days (7 February, 17%; 15 August, 11%). The 95% confidence intervals for the numbers of adolescent patients again indicated an association with Saint Valentine's Day and, to a lesser extent,

Christmas Day 

Source:

*Howton K ()( rridv J. shborn M, (olc 1). Adolcnccjits who takc ocrrdoscs: thcir characterixticx, problets and contact wi il hepiiig c agciices. Br 7 PIsvclatrv 1982;140 11X-23 

*BIlncrotlt J, Marsack 1'. Ihe relptitivcnes ol sclt posoninilig and scl njur Br JPschltair 1977;131:394-9.