Sudden crime waves, injuries and other random acts have been
blamed on the monthly phenomenon, sometimes by doctors, nurses
and the police. But research by a group of psychologists in
Canada has finally debunked the myth, proving that the lunar
cycle has no influence on these freak occurrences. More than 770
hospital patients were studied in the three-year project with
those suffering from psychological problems being closely
analysed. Patients suffered problems ranging from panic attacks
to suicidal behaviour and often claimed to have mystery chest
pains. No evidence of a lunar link was discovered. "This may be
coincidental or due to factors we did not take into account,”
Professor Genevieve Belleville, a psychologist for Canada's
Universite Laval told the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.
"But one thing is certain – we observed no full moon or new moon
effect on psychological problems. "The analyses revealed no link
between the incidence of psychological problems and the four
lunar phases." The pains wer