[Lottery and suicide - the effect of number of lottery tickets on Hungarian suicide rates].

AIM: The relationship of suicide and gambling is a neglected field in the study of suicidology. In Hungary, no statistical studies have been published to date with regard to the whole of the population. Our study investigates the relationship between a very popular high prize game, lottery, and suicide rates.

METHOD: The relationship between daily rates of suicide by gender and age and the number of winning tickets has been analysed over the periods between 1991 and 1997 and from 1997 to 2013. During the first period of time examined, the lottery draws took place on Fridays, while they were held on Saturdays in the second. Time series covariance analysis based on ARIMA modelling on detrended data was used to test the relationship of gambling and self-destruction.

RESULTS: Out of the 27 models tested, the only significant models, which are also in line with what can be expected based on the literature, could be found during the period when the draws took place on Fridays. Corresponding to the increase in the number of lottery tickets, there was also an increase in the number of suicides somewhat delayed in time. The relationship only held true for males with one exception.

CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found a weak positive relationship between rates of suicide and the spread of the lottery game. The significance of our study is well reflected by the fact that - to the best of our knowledge - this effect has never been investigated on such a large sample before. Our results point to the significance of cultural and social factors, to differences in gender roles, and to the accentuated role of the factor of hopelessness in shaping the suicide scene in Hungary. In order to clarify the role of different factors in more detail, there seems to be a need for further studies on suicide conducted on large samples.