Stimmungsverlauf über 6 Jahre bei einer Patientin mit saisonal abhängiger Depressionsform (SAD)

Abstract

Since the first description of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), many international studies have confirmed the existence of this subgroup of depressive patients. Even though the diagnosis of SAD has been incorporated into the DSM-III-R classification system, many psychiatrists maintain a certain skepsis as to the existence of SAD as a separate sub-group of depression. The diagnostic issues are important because of the apparent specificity of treatment of SAD with bright light. Most diagnoses have relied on retrospective descriptions of the patients' depressive and healthy phases with respect to time of year. We present prospectively gathered weekly depression self-ratings in a SAD patient over a period of six years that may provide valid criteria for diagnostic purposes. This is a particularly exemplary case with implications for the relationship between light therapy and the course of depressive phases, the possible interaction of light treatment with lithium, the relationship between weight-changes and mood changes over the year and aspects of family loading of the illness.