comparison of suicide attempt rates during different lunar months

aim and background: suicide is a multifactorial attempt. cultural and religious factors play important roles in its prevention and frequency. moslem societies have various approaches to different months of the year. they also have different ceremonies and customs during each month. we studied the frequency of suicide attempts during different months of lunar calendar along a 10-year period. methods and materials: in a descriptive survey, we studied the records of patients who had committed suicide attempts and had referred to the central toxicology emergency of isfahan province (iran) during 1995-2004. we categorized the subjects based on sex and age. the collected data was analyzed by chi-square test in spss 11 . findings: from all 14280 individuals with suicide attempts, the majority were female and aged 20-39 years old. the least frequency of suicide attempts were during ramadan and sha'ban lunar months. conclusions: the least frequency of suicide attempts during ramadan may be due to more self-control and abstinence caused by fasting, altruistic activities, and religious ceremonies.