Busting the Lunar Effect Myth
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- I'm so glad this day is nearly over. How was work?
- It was alright, the same as usual. How was work for you?
- Craaaazy busy. But I expected it, with the full moon and everything.
- Yeah! Isn't it such a weird phenomenon?
- Do you mean the lunar effect?
- It's actually a myth! It's been debunked quite a few times.
- Oh! Honestly? I'm not really sure what it even means.
- Every 29.5 days on average, a full moon occurs. Decades upon decades, numerous people observed a link between a full moon and a bunch of strange phenomena like an increase of psychiatric hospital admissions, crime, suicides, and so on...Think about that phrase you hear from people where they say, "There must be a full moon out there."
- That's pretty weird...
- Do you know where it originated from?
- Right?!
- The word "Luna" originates from the Roman goddess of the moon. Now, "Luna" prefaces the word "lunatic".
- Ouch.
- I know.
- Famous philosopher Aristotle and historian Pliny the Elder claimed that the brain was the “moistest” organ in the human body, which made it more susceptible to be influenced by the moon, the same moon that also triggers tides in our ocean. So, the belief of this effect was prominent in Europe during the Middle Ages.
- This was also the time that humans were believed to transform into vampires or werewolves during a full moon.
- That makes so much sense! But does it truly exist? In terms of affecting people's mental state?
- You mean if there's an actual increase in psychiatric admissions and suicides?
- In a 2006 study done by McLay and colleagues, they tested whether there was an increase in psychiatric-related admissions in Emergency Rooms during full moons. This took place over a one-year period, from August 1, 2002 to July 31, 2003.
- The data they gathered was logged on a computer that recorded the consultations of on-call psychiatrists who offered mental health support at the hospital. The percentage of patients that were admitted was recorded daily and matched to the corresponding lunar cycle.
- There was no statistically significant effect of the lunar cycle impacting psychiatric-related admissions of any kind. After comparing the moon’s four quarters, there were no differences. Also, patients who suffered from mood-disorders, psychosis, and anxiety were admitted in the hospital at a rate that was deemed independent from the phases of moon.
- Hmm.. I don't know...
- Still don't believe me, huh? Okay, while the previous study took place in the Western region of the world where the belief is most prominent, let’s look at the Eastern region, more specifically, in Kuwait.
- In 2014, Alhumoud and Alhemoud conducted a similar study as the one I previously mentioned. The patients in the psychiatric hospital that were recorded for the study were only Muslim, because the notion of lunar effect does not exist in Islam. Therefore, the study has a more objective view on if there really is a biological explanation of the myth.
- The data was analyzed from January 1998 to December 2008. Similar to the previous study, patients who were admitted were matched with the corresponding lunar cycle.
- Again, there was no evidence of any correlation between psychiatric patients that visited the hospital and the lunar cycle. The authors further stated that since their community does not support this Western-dominated myth, their study acted as a “blind control study”, without any biased opinions on the lunar effect.
- It's pretty cool that there are studies done about it in non-Western countries. But I wonder how prevalent it is. Like is there a certain demographic that believes it more than others?
- There totally is! There was a study done by Rotton and Kelly in 1985 where they surveyed 86 nurses in the psychiatry department about their beliefs on it.
- 74% believed that their patients, and people in general, do behave in strange ways during a full moon.
- Yup!
- Definitely.
- For sure.
- Nah.
- In another study conducted by Vance in 1995, it was determined that those who worked in mental health professions more willingly accepted the belief in the lunar effect versus those who worked in educational professions and students.
- Crazy full moon day again, Sunil.
- Tell me about it. I need to sit down.
- Why is that? Why do nurses and mental health staff believe in the lunar effect more than others?
- It’s hypothesized that since mental health professionals are exposed to acute anxiety in their jobs, they create this association to the lunar cycle to increase their sense of control. Applying this association of stressful stimuli to environmental cues also reduces the anxiety they experience in terms of the unexpected.
- Code blue to psych, code blue to psych.
- I said I want my phone!
- I told you, you're not allowed to use it.
- It's a full moon, it's a full moon, its...
- Wow that's intense...
- I know. Fun fact, there is an actual psychological explanation to this, a term known as “illusory correlation” that was coined by psychologists Loren and Jean Chapman. They defined it as, “The perception of an association that does not in fact exist.” It basically means that our mind attends and recalls events rather than non-events.
- So, on a full moon when something super rare happens, we usually notice it, tell others, and remember it more than if there wasn’t a full moon. Because of this selective recalling, there’s often a perceived association between bizarre happenings and full moons.
- Whoa, did you see that?
- Must be the full moon...
- But it can't be harmful for people to believe in it, can it?
- It does have its consequences. Those who work in the psychiatric field and believe in it can be biased towards their patients on a full moon. They may downplay or shrug off the patients' behaviour as a symptom of the lunar effect, despite the patient requiring actual medical attention.
- Even those who don't work in the field of psychiatry are susceptible to consequences from believing in it. They may think that the full moon could serve as a scapegoat for crimes they may commit. There's also the added anxiety that some people experience whenever there's a full moon, for they may believe that they need to "keep an eye out" in case something strange and inexplicable happens to them.
- I guess that makes sense... Hey, how do you even know about all this?
- I had to bust a psychological myth for a critical thinking course last semester. It was pretty neat, I learned a lot.
- Cool...Anyway, I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow... OMG look- it's the 13th too! Spooky. I hope nothing crazy happens!
- *internally screams*
- You okay?
- We better go if we want to make that dinner reservation.
- Damn these myths...
- I better not drink tonight. Gotta be extra sharp tomorrow for any weird Friday the 13th happenings, ya know?
- I'm definitely drinking.
- THE END
- Ashika Kuttaiya215005242
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