SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-"Busting the Myth". The Association Between Lunar Phase and Use of Intravenous Short Acting Antipsychotics at Med-Psych Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital

"Busting the Myth". The Association Between Lunar Phase and Use of Intravenous Short Acting Antipsychotics at Med-Psych Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital

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This retrospective study examined whether lunar phases were associated with antipsychotic medication use in psychiatric inpatient encounters at the University of Missouri’s adult and youth units from July 2018 to August 2023. Data were collected from patient records for encounters in which patients received one of four intravenous or intramuscular antipsychotics: olanzapine, haloperidol, aripiprazole, or risperidone. Encounters were grouped by the eight lunar phases, and statistical analyses were used to test for any relationship between moon phase and medication administration.<br /><br />Overall, the study found no meaningful association between lunar phase and antipsychotic administration. The overall correlation was essentially zero (correlation coefficient -0.0017, p = 0.533), indicating that moon phase did not predict whether a patient received an antipsychotic medication. This supports the view that common beliefs about the moon influencing psychiatric behavior are not supported by the data.<br /><br />An exception was observed in the youth unit. On the day of admission, full moon encounters were associated with higher antipsychotic use among younger patients, and this result was statistically significant (correlation coefficient 0.061, p = 0.0016). However, the effect size was small, and the authors suggest this finding warrants further study rather than being taken as evidence of a strong lunar effect.<br /><br />In conclusion, the study does not support a general relationship between moon phases and antipsychotic use in psychiatric settings. The findings reinforce the importance of empirical evidence over anecdotal beliefs and suggest that any possible lunar influence may be limited to specific subgroups, such as youth, and should be investigated further with age- and sex-specific analyses.

Asset Subtitle

Li Ma

Meta Tag

Author List Dixie Phillips, James Lear, Kamran Zahoor, Li Ma, Maggie Bueltmann, Rachel Stuck, Rishabh Taneja, Syed H R. Naqvi

Category Research

Concept Lunar Phase

Concept Antipsychotic Medication

Concept Inpatient Encounters

Concept Retrospective Study

Concept Statistical Significance

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Missouri Hospital

Presenting Author Li Ma

Track Education

Keywords

lunar phases

antipsychotic medication

psychiatric inpatient

retrospective study

full moon

olanzapine

haloperidol

aripiprazole

risperidone

youth unit

Lunar Phase

Antipsychotic Medication

Inpatient Encounters

Retrospective Study

Statistical Significance