Does the full moon cause psychological disorders?
- Sleep time is reduced by 20 minutes on full moon evenings according to a study.
- On the other hand, there would be no link between the full moon and the increase in psychological disorders.
- These beliefs must therefore be deconstructed, including among caregivers: 80% of nurses and 64% of doctors are convinced that the lunar cycle affects the mental health of patients.
Saturday October 28 is the date of the next full moon. Some think that this moment can influence mood, sleep but also increase the risk of psychological disorders. Does science support these beliefs?
No link between the full moon and psychological disorders
In 2013, a study published in the journal Current Biology showed a decrease in total sleep time of 20 minutes and a 30% reduction in deep sleep time during full moon periods. Thus, fatigue caused by lack of sleep could also have an impact on mood.
But when it comes to psychological disorders, the scientific answer seems rather negative. In a study published in 1994 in the journal Psychological Reportsthe researchers estimated that there was no increase in admissions to psychiatric hospitals on full moon evenings.
In Quebec, researchers from Laval University analyzed data from 771 people admitted to emergency departments between 2005 and 2008 for unexplainable abdominal pain. A large proportion of these patients had suicidal thoughts, mood disorders and anxiety attacks.
Psychological disorders: putting an end to beliefs about the full moon
But, by studying the lunar calendar, they found no link between the full moon and these psychological disorders. Their work was published in 2013 in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.
“We hope that our results will encourage health professionals to put this idea aside, explains Geneviève Belleville, one of the authors of this study, in a communicated which specifies that 80% of nurses and 64% of doctors are convinced that the lunar cycle affects the mental health of patients. Otherwise, this belief risks coloring their judgment during the full moon and causing them to be less alert to psychological problems during the rest of the month.”
