Is There Any "facts" To Prove The Connection Between The Moon And The Affects It Has On Humans?

[RATTER15]

For years I have been told about people going mad etc on a full moon as have we all.

In my line of work I have heard it more and more working with challenging behaviour and dementia etc.

I have often checked the state of the moon on days/nights when we have had many problems with clients, to be honest I have never noticed any increase in behavioural problems at any particular state of the moon.

I want facts not hearsay and yes I know about the name lunacy etc coming from the word lunar.

Reliable research statistics would also be good.

[Sqad]

RATTER....as you well know, Mental Disorders are not my strong point, so I will keep out of the thread but watch with interest.

Yes, you will get scientific studies to either enhance the relationship or refute such connections, but what you must do is to access the validity of such scientific works and that is the "trick."

[RATTER15]

That is the problem sqad, what is reliable and what is not.

[Sqad]

;-)

[rojash]

All logic says that the amount of the moon that happens to be illuminated by the sun cannot possibly have any effect.

And yet when my wife worked in a secure unit for people with "severe learning disabilities" (this is a euphemism for "when they're not trying to rip out their own arteries with their teeth, they're trying to strangle you, or burn the place down") she, and all the other staff, insisted that the time of the full moon was the time that nobody wanted to be on night duty.

[emmie]

in my experience, that there is no correlation between moon's appearance or the fact of it's existence, than it's make of cheese.

the facts are that one's surroundings, family, genetic makeup, circumstances, financial situation can and do impact on one's mental well being. I have and still do have issues with it, counselling certainly helps.

i am not going to go on about it, but can also quote from family experiences of mental health problems and all the often poor souls i have come across on the mental health great carousel of life. Most have had at one time or another drink, drugs, sexual and physical abuse lobbed at them, some come out the other side, some do not.

A Good friend had what was then manic depression, he eventually couldn't take the incredible highs and even worse lows, and killed himself

there is no one thing that makes people mentally unwell, it's just sometimes how the chips are stacked.

[RATTER15]

Typical from me, I think it is all a lot of nonsense!

[joggerjayne]

I can't think of any just noooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooo !!!!

[emmie]

if you are in a secure unit it's unlikely you would be worried about the moon or it's constellations, you are worrying whether you will ever leave the place.

[RATTER15]

Rojash, this is what I hear all the time, I just have never witnessed it or found anything to suggest it is remotely true.

[LazyGun]

You might find this article of interest Ratter - short answer, the scientific studies would seem to suggest not.

http://scienceline.org/2008/03/ask-grant-fullmoon/

[emmie]

Ratter, it is, no relationship at all.

[emmie]

i have been at the coalface on this, trust me it's not remotely true.

[EDDIE51]

Could it just be that a full moon gives enough light to go out at night and be able to see where you are going? It makes sense that more people would be out if they could see to do things.

[Canary42]

Full and New moon periods invoke higher tides in the oceans (caused by the alignment of sun and moon, not by the amount of light emitted by the latter), perhaps a similar effect occurs on cerebral fluid (whatever that might be).

But I agree, it would be interesting to see statistical evidence to support or refute this apparent old wives tale.

[EDDIE51]

I ment to add , full moon equals more light equals more people out and therefore more trouble .

[LazyGun]

Tides in cerebral fluid, Canary? Were that true, Gravity would be a might force indeed, and we would be pummelled flat, unable to move or even breathe under its oppressive effects.

http://quest.nasa.gov/neuron/question/lifesci/Moon_s_Affect_on_the_Brain.txt

The earths own gravitational field far outstrips any effect the moon can exert on such a small volume....

[jake-the-peg]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23158676

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19840597

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18835499

[rojash]

"Rojash, this is what I hear all the time, I just have never witnessed it or found anything to suggest it is remotely true."

Absolutely Ratter - nor have I, and as I said, it makes no scientific sense that I can see. And yet, my wife is an intelligent person, and so, presumably were her colleagues, so, as you say, the problem is: what's reliable and what's not?

[Canary42]

Thanks for the link lazygun - makes sense even though the answer comes from a Wally - LOL.

I love AB as an enlightenment source.

[Khandro]

em10; If you have been down at the coalface, how would you know if it was true? :-)