Back to school blues: Seasonality of youth suicide and the academic calendar

Previous research has found evidence of academic benefits to longer school years. This paper investigates one of the many potential costs of increased school year length, documenting a dramatic decrease in youth suicide in months when school is not in session. A detailed analysis does not find that other potential explanations such as economic conditions, weather or seasonal affective disorder patterns can explain the decrease. This evidence suggests that youth may face increased stress and decreased mental health when school is in session.

► We document a large decrease in youth suicide in during summer.
► Adults from a slightly older age ranges exhibit no summer decrease in suicide.
► The summer decline in youth suicide is not explained by weather, unemployment, or SAD.
► The increase rate of youth suicide during non-summer months aligns with school calendar.
► That increase may be indicative of broader stress experienced by youth in school.