The Lunar New Year holiday is associated with differential suicide risks by gender and marital status in Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Suicide risk fluctuates during the Christmas holidays, suggesting a role for social integration in suicide prevention. In Taiwan, the Lunar New Year is the longest and most culturally significant family holiday. This study examines gender-specific suicide risks during the Lunar New Year and Western New Year holidays.

Methods: Daily suicide data between 2012 and 2022 were obtained from national cause-of-death data. A Poisson regression model compared the suicide risk seven days before and after the Lunar and Western New Year's Day with that of the remainder of the year, stratified by gender and marital status. A moderation analysis by gender was conducted.

Results: Suicide risks in married and divorced men decreased before Lunar New Year's Day, but the risk was elevated in divorced men a few days after both the Lunar and Western New Year's Days. Compared to men, divorced women had a higher suicide risk on Lunar New Year's Day. Divorced women had a lower suicide risk after the Lunar New Year holiday, whereas married women had a higher suicide risk.

Conclusion: The differential suicide risk by marital status and gender offers important implications for suicide prevention, particularly concerning temporal landmarks, social integration, and caregiving burdens during holidays.