CDC Data Debunks Holiday Suicide Myth as International Survivors of Suicide Day Approaches

As International Survivors of Suicide Day approaches on November 22nd, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights Florida is addressing a persistent and harmful myth about suicide during the holiday season. Contrary to widespread media narratives and public perception, CDC data definitively shows that suicide rates actually decrease in December and are among the lowest of the year. This holiday suicide myth represents dangerous misinformation that may be undermining suicide prevention efforts despite suicide remaining a significant public health crisis in the United States.

More than 49,300 people died by suicide in 2023, with suicide ranking as the 11th leading cause of death nationally and the second leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-34. An estimated 1.5 million Americans attempted suicide in 2023, and 5.3% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months. The Annenberg Public Policy Center has tracked media reports on suicide since 2000 and found that during the 2023-2024 holiday season, 58% of articles linking the holidays and suicide perpetuated the holiday suicide myth, while only 42% debunked it. This pattern of media coverage has ensured the misconception remains deeply embedded in public consciousness.

In a nationally representative survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center in 2023, four out of five adults incorrectly selected December as the time of year in which the largest number of suicides occur. The CDC has emphatically stated that the holiday suicide myth supports misinformation and might actually hinder prevention efforts. According to analysis of CDC data from 2022 and 2023, December consistently had the lowest average daily suicide rate of the year, ranking 12th in suicide rates among all months. November ranked 11th, and January ranked 10th. The highest suicide rates occurred in the spring and summer months, with June, July, and August ranking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.

This seasonal pattern has remained consistent over several decades and is observed in the southern hemisphere as well, where suicide rates peak during their summer months, further confirming that suicide rates are primarily influenced by seasonal factors rather than holiday-specific stressors. Beyond the perpetuation of false information, concerns have been raised about the growing reliance on antidepressant medications. According to new data released by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics in 2025, more than 1 in 10 U.S. adults took prescription medication for depression in 2023, with women more than twice as likely to take these medications as men.

Research published in Pediatrics in 2024 revealed that antidepressant dispensing to adolescents and young adults increased by 66.3% from January 2016 to December 2022, with the rate of increase accelerating by 63.5% after the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. This dramatic expansion in antidepressant usage has occurred despite documented evidence that side effects from these medications can include suicidal thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, research has challenged the efficacy of suicide risk assessments. In a 2017 Scientific American article, psychiatrists Declan Murray and Patrick Devitt reported that 40 years of research on suicide risk assessment determined there is no statistical method to identify patients at high-risk of suicide in a way that would improve treatment.

As International Survivors of Suicide Day approaches, the focus shifts to honoring those who have lost loved ones to suicide and supporting survivors in their grief and recovery. This observance underscores the importance of accurate, evidence-based information about suicide prevention and mental health treatment options that do not rely on potentially dangerous psychiatric drugs. The persistence of the holiday suicide myth despite clear evidence to the contrary highlights the critical need for media responsibility and public education about the actual patterns and risk factors associated with suicide throughout the year.