Association between sunshine hours and suicide attempts: Evidence from a retrospective study in Southern India

Background: Suicide is a growing public health concern in India. While psychological and sociocultural factors are well studied, the role of climatic influences like sunshine duration remains underexplored. Aims: To investigate seasonal patterns in suicide attempts and assess the relationship between suicide incidence and sunshine duration in southern India. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed 411 suicide attempt cases from July 2017 to June 2022 at a tertiary hospital in Chennai. Demographic and clinical data were extracted, and sunshine duration was sourced from the India Meteorological Department. Results: Most attempts involved females (69%) and adults aged 19–59 (73%). Medication overdose was the leading method (46%). Attempts peaked in July, while sunshine was the highest in February–May. A strong inverse correlation was found (r = –0.81; P = 0.001). Attempts were most frequent in the early evening and on Fridays. Conclusion: Lower sunshine duration correlates with increased suicide attempts, highlighting the need to integrate environmental factors into prevention strategies.