Prevalence Of Seasonal Affective Disorder Research Articles

Seasonal affective disorder among primary care attenders and a community sample in Aberdeen.

There are no large published studies of the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) among UK populations. To determine the prevalence of SAD among patients attending a general practitioner (GP). Patients aged 16-64 consulting their GPs in Aberdeen during January were screened with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). SPAQs were also mailed to 600 matched patients, who had not consulted their GP during January. Surgery attenders who fulfilled SPAQ criteria for SAD were invited for interview to determine whether they met criteria for SAD in DSM-IV and the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression--Seasonal Affective Disorder Version (SIGH-SAD). Of 6161 surgery attenders, 4557 (74%) completed a SPAQ; 442 (9.7%) were SPAQ cases of SAD. Rate of caseness on the SPAQ did not differ between surgery attenders and non-attenders. Of 223 interviewed SPAQ cases of SAD, 91 (41%) also fulfilled DSM-IV and SIGH-SAD criteria. There is a high prevalence of SAD among patients attending their GPs in January in Aberdeen; this is likely to reflect a similar rate in the community.

Seasonal mood patterns in eating disorders

There has been an increasing body of research literature suggesting a seasonal pattern of mood fluctuations and eating behavior in bulimic patients. Fornari et al. [5] reported worsening of bulimic symptoms during winter. There is a logical connection between Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and bulimia nervosa as both show increased appetite and carbohydrate craving and probably share a common neurobiologic abnormality such as serotonergic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SAD in a sample of 259 consecutively evaluated outpatients admitted to an eating disorders clinic (254 women and 5 men). Eating disorder diagnosis was established on the basis of DSM-III-R criteria, and a modified version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire was used to determine seasonality among patients. The sample was comprised of the following: 53.7% bulimics, 27.4% anorexics, 15.1% were classified as having an eating disorder not otherwise specified, and 3.9% had a diagnosis other than an eating disorder. The results indicated that 27.0% of the eating disorder patients met criteria for SAD. Of this group, 86 (71.4%) were bulimic, 35 (18.6%) were anorexic, and 20 (10.0%) were nonspecified. Details and additional findings are discussed.

The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in the netherlands: a prospective and retrospective study of seasonal mood variation in the general population

Background: The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in The Netherlands.Methods: The subjects (n = 5356), randomly selected from community registers, were given the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale over a period of 13 months. The response rate was 52.6%.Results: Three percent of the respondents met the criteria for winter SAD, 0.1% for summer SAD. The criteria for subsyndromal SAD, a milder form of SAD, were met by 8.5%, 0.3% of whom showed a summer pattern. Younger women received a diagnosis of SAD more often than men or older women.Conclusions: SAD subjects were significantly more often unemployed or on sick leave than other subjects. Respondents who met winter SAD criteria were significantly more depressed than healthy subjects, in both winter and summer. Finally, month of completion had no influence on the number of subjects meeting the SAD criteria.

Seasonal affective disorders among rural Finns and Lapps.

We investigated the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal SAD (S-SAD) in rural populations in south-western and northern Finland by using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). A total of 1710 SPAQs were analysed. The prevalences of overall SAD and S-SAD were 12.0% and 27.1%, respectively. Winter SAD (W-SAD) was the most common type, with prevalences of 9.5% for W-SAD and 18.4% for W-S-SAD. The prevalences of overall and winter SAD did not differ between Finns living in northern and south-western Finland. Among the Lapps, W-SAD cases were less frequent than among the Finns in Lapland. Overall seasonality correlated significantly with female gender, high body mass index, high level of education and young age.

Seasonal Affective Disorder in College Students: Prevalence and Latitude

The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to evaluate a convenience sample of college students in northern New England for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal SAD. Seventy-six students filled out the questionnaire and the inventory in mid-fall, then completed the inventory again in mid-February. The students who had moved from southern latitudes to northern New England were the most likely to experience increased depression in winter. Prevalence rates for SAD and sub-SAD combined (winter 13.2 and 19.7%, respectively) were slightly higher than those reported in previous research. The prevalence of SAD was also higher in female students, which was consistent with findings in previous research.

Seasonal affective disorder: report from India (latitude 26° 45′N)

Background: A number of studies have established the entity of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and delineated the presence of atypical depressive features of carbohydrate craving, hyperphagia and hypersomnia. Most literature has emanated from research carried out in temperate climates, and only few reports are available from tropical countries, especially India. Methods: Consecutive patients with recurrent mood disorder (who had at least 2 episodes of depression in the past) comprised the study sample. The diagnosis of mood disorder was made according to DSM-III-R criteria. The sample was divided into two groups – seasonal and non-seasonal according to the DSM-III-R criteria of seasonal pattern. The depressed patients were rated on SADD and HDRS, and manic patients on BRMRS. Results: Eighteen of 93 patients fulfilled the criteria of seasonal pattern; 7 of these seasonal patients, and 25 of the non-seasonal patients were currently in depressive phase. Males dominated the sample in both the groups. The seasonal and non-seasonal groups as regards symptomatology, differed only on a few items – decreased libido on SADD, and suicidal ideation and helplessness on HDRS. Atypical vegetative features were not seen in any of the seasonal patients. Conclusions: SAD is seen at lower latitudes also, although atypical vegetative features are not a prominent part of the symptomatology. Limitations: The study sampled was obtained from a very select population, and thus does not indicate the prevalence of SAD in India. Secondly, the small sample size precludes any categorical comments of the symptomatology. Moreover, winter and summer depressives were considered as one group. Clinical relevance: Emphasising the presence of SAD in a tropical country where there is relatively less variation in daylight periods, this report forms a base for future studies. It also raises the question of the role of variations in daylight in the aetiology SAD.

Epidemiology of recurrent major and minor depression with a seasonal pattern. The National Comorbidity Survey.

Previous estimates of the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in community samples have been in the range 2-10%, using methods not derived from DSM algorithms. We report the first community-based study to estimate major and minor depression with a seasonal pattern in a community-based sample using a diagnostic instrument derived from DSM-III-R. A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was administered to 8098 subjects in the 48 coterminous states of the USA (the National Comorbidity Survey) to assess the prevalence of major and minor depression with a seasonal pattern. The lifetime prevalence of major depression with a seasonal pattern was 0.4%, and the prevalence of major or minor depression with a seasonal pattern was 1.0%. Among respondents with major depression, male gender and older age were associated with a higher prevalence with a seasonal pattern. Prevalence estimates of major and minor depression with a seasonal pattern are much lower than those found in previous studies of SAD in the community, probably due to the approach to diagnosis used in the present study, which more accurately represents DSM-III-R criteria for major depression with a seasonal pattern. The distribution of the disorder is similar to that found in previous studies except for the higher prevalence among males.

The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in The Netherlands.

Since the description of SAD the prevalence of this disorder has been of particular interest. The more so, because early studies, indicated the correctness of the on theoretical grounds - expected interaction between latitude and prevalence rate of SAD. More eleborate prevalence studies, mainly in the USA indeed showed a positive correlation between prevalence rate and latitude. In Europe, only few studies have appeared. Although the results of most of these studies are preliminary and research-methods and criteria vary across studies, tentative conclusions are that the prevalence rates in Europe are considerably lower than in the USA, but that there is a similar trend in the direction of an increase of prevalence at higher latitudes.8"10 In the present study, the prevalence of SAD in the Netherlands is investigated.

Seasonality in panic disorder

Following a clinical observation of increased anxiety symptoms and mood changes during winter in panic disorder patients, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was completed by 133 patients. Global Seasonality Scores (GSS), and the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), were significantly higher than reported in general population studies. Seasonal changes were also found in anxiety and panic attacks. These findings suggest the possibility of a common aetiology for panic disorder and SAD, that seasonality may be a far more general phenomenon in psychopathology, and that light therapy may be a useful treatment for some panic disorder patients.

Prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder in Iceland

To investigate seasonal patterns in mood and behavior and estimate the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) in the Icelandic population. A random sample generated from the Icelandic National Register, consisting of 1000 men and women aged 17 to 67 years from all parts of Iceland. It represents 6.4 per million of the Icelandic population in this age group. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, an instrument for investigating mood and behavioral changes with the seasons, was mailed to a random sample of the Icelandic population. The data were compared with results obtained with similar methods in populations in the United States. Seasonality score and prevalence rates of seasonal affective disorder and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder. The prevalence of SAD and S-SAD were estimated at 3.8% and 7.5%, respectively, which is significantly lower than prevalence rates obtained with the same method on the east coast of the United States (chi 2 = 9.29 and 7.3; P < .01). The standardized rate ratios for Iceland compared with the United States were 0.49 and 0.63 for SAD and S-SAD, respectively. No case of summer SAD was found. Seasonal affective disorder and S-SAD are more common in younger individuals and among women. The weight gained by patients during the winter does not seem to result in chronic obesity. The prevalence of SAD and S-SAD was lower in Iceland than on the East Coast of the United States, in spite of Iceland's more northern latitude. These results are unexpected since the prevalence of these disorders has been found to increase in more northern latitudes. The Icelandic population has remained remarkably isolated during the past 1000 years. It is conceivable that persons with a predisposition to SAD have been at a disadvantage and that there may have been a population selection toward increased tolerance of winter darkness.

A nationwide survey of seasonal affective disorder at 53 outpatient university clinics in Japan.

A nationwide survey of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) was performed from autumn 1990 to spring 1991 with the cooperation of 53 outpatient university psychiatric clinics in Japan. Forty-six SAD patients were identified among 5265 depressed outpatients. SAD was generally reported to occur in 1-3% of the depressed outpatients newly attending each facility. Hours of sunshine were found to be a more relevant variable influencing the prevalence of SAD than latitude or the mean temperature in December. The unexpectedly low percentage (20-30%) of SAD patients with atypical vegetative symptoms suggests that SAD patients who have no prior knowledge of SAD and those who are recruited via the media have different vegetative symptom profiles.

Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Alaska.

The goals of this study are to provide estimates of the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Alaska, to examine sociodemographic correlates, and to evaluate the relation between seasonal affective disorder and general depression. A random sample of 283 residents of Fairbanks who had lived in Alaska for 3 years or more were interviewed with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D Scale). Twenty-six (9.2%) of the subjects met diagnostic criteria for seasonal affective disorder, one of the highest figures yet reported. These cyclic winter affective disorders occurred more often in women than men (ratio = 3:2) and were less prevalent among residents who were older than 40 years of age. Assessment of depression with the CES-D Scale supported the diagnostic classification of respondents and the differentiation of seasonal affective disorder from other depression. This study supports the conclusions that seasonal affective disorder is prevalent in northern populations and that sex and age may represent the major risk factors that differentiate it from the general experience of depression in northern communities.

Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder at four latitudes

The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) was mailed to a sample population balanced for sex and randomly selected from local telephone directories in four areas: Nashua, NH, New York, NY, Montgomery County, MD, and Sarasota, FL. On the basis of responses to this questionnaire, prevalence rates of winter seasonal affective disorder (winter SAD) summer seasonal affective disorder (summer SAD), and subsyndromal winter SAD were estimated for the four areas. Rates of winter SAD and subsyndromal SAD were found to be significantly higher at the more northern latitudes, while no correlation was found between latitude and summer SAD. The positive correlation between latitude and prevalence of winter SAD applied predominantly to the age groups over 35.