The Curse of Geography: On Latitude and Suicidal Behavior

Adonis Sfera

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Riverside, and Loma Linda University, USA

Dr. Adonis Sfera, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Riverside, and Loma Linda University, USA.

Keywords: Geography; Suicidal Behavior

Abstract

We read with great interest the article “Global prevalence of suicide by latitude: A systematic review and meta-analysis” by Seongjun An, published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry on January 7, 2023. In this work, the authors examine numerous studies from 1982 to 2020, demonstrating that the worldwide prevalence of suicide increases with the distance from the equator. The authors concluded that low vitamin D levels caused by insufficient sunlight exposure likely affect the central nervous system (CNS) myelin repair, contributing to higher suicide rates.

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