TITLE:
The Gravitational Pull of the Full Moon to Explain Phenomenon: Superstition or Science
AUTHORS:
Victoria Smith, Cheryl Sweet, Beth Schoening, Heather Hornbostel, Sarah James, Melissa Thomassy, Denise Norton, Todd Fullerton, Ashley Peacock, Peggy Ward-Smith
KEYWORDS:
Superstition, Births, Emergency Department, Psychiatric, Retrospective Data
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.10,
September
19,
2022
ABSTRACT: Superstitious beliefs are embraced among healthcare providers regardless
of the lack of, or inconsistency in, scientific validation. Previous research
identified the belief that the presence of a full moon increased the number of
births and the number of patients seeking care in an Emergency Department
setting for psychiatric concerns. Using a retrospective approach, nine months
of medical record data from the Women’s
Health Department detailing the number of births and nine months of
medical record data from the Emergency Department
were analyzed. Correlation of births on full moon dates was compared to overall
rates, and overall Emergency Department contacts and contacts specifically for psychiatric concerns were compared to rates on non-full moon dates.
Analyses failed to identify any statistically significant differences in either clinical scenario during the full moon dates.
The use of superstitions, among healthcare professionals, provides a
sense of control, which may reduce anxiety. While scientific advantages may not
be able to detect a connection between behavioral differences and lunar phases,
embracing one’s beliefs in superstition may provide a mindfulness approach
which is supportive while recognizing that the clinical environment cannot be
controlled.