The Relationship between Meteorological Conditions and Homicide, Suicide, Rage, and Psychiatric Hospitalization
Ali Talaei M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Arya Hedjazi M.D.
Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
Additional information and reprint requests:
Arya Hedjazi, M.D.
Legal Medicine Research Center
Legal Medicine Organization
Tehran
Iran
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAmir Rezaei Ardani M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorMohammad Reza Fayyazi Bordbar M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorAndisheh Talaei
Faculty of Biotechnology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorAli Talaei M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Arya Hedjazi M.D.
Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
Additional information and reprint requests:
Arya Hedjazi, M.D.
Legal Medicine Research Center
Legal Medicine Organization
Tehran
Iran
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAmir Rezaei Ardani M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorMohammad Reza Fayyazi Bordbar M.D.
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Search for more papers by this authorAndisheh Talaei
Faculty of Biotechnology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
Search for more papers by this author[Correction added on April 18, 2014 after first online publication: Author affiliations have been corrected and updated from the originally posted version.]
Abstract
This study focuses on the relationship between the incidence of homicide, rage, suicide, and psychiatric hospitalization as violent behaviors with temperature, humidity, and air pressure as specific meteorological variables in the city of Mashhad, in the northeast of Iran. The data were obtained from Iran Meteorological Organization, official registry of Legal Medicine Organization and the local psychiatric hospital, March 2009 to Feb 2010 daily and were analyzed with SPSS-14 using Pearson correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and post hoc analysis tests. The rates of rage and psychiatric admission had a significant relationship with the daily mean air temperature, minimum relative humidity, maximum relative humidity, minimum daily pressure, and maximum daily air pressure (p < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between homicide and suicide rates with any meteorological variables (p > 0.05). We concluded that, the possibility of nonfatal violence and psychiatric hospitalization would increase in hot and arid weather with low air pressure.
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