Seasonal Changes In Mood Research Articles

Relationship between sun exposure and seasonal affective disorder symptoms in rural older people with different personalities: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesEvidence suggests that environmental support, personality traits, and psychological factors can influence seasonal changes in human mood and behavior, particularly in rural middle-aged women and older people. This study aimed to quantify the associations between personality traits, seasonal affective disorder symptoms, and sun exposure in rural older people.MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional analytical study, the participants were 300 rural older persons from 12 natural villages and 5 geriatric service centers in 4 different cities in Jiangxi Province, China. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Personal Inventory of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (PIDS-SA-SimpChi), and the Sunlight Exposure Scale were used to conduct follow-up interviews throughout the year. Spatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS and Geodetic Probes. The data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and Amos 23.0 mediated models.ResultsRural older people with low sun exposure exhibited higher personality trait scores (p < 0.001). Personality traits were directly associated with seasonal affective disorder symptoms(p < 0.01); Sun exposure mediated this effect in rural older people (p < 0.05).ConclusionHigh-scoring personalities are more typical of rural older people with low sun exposure, and there is a greater risk of emotional and behavioral instability. Latitudinal differences are not a determinant of SAD. Increased sun exposure is associated with symptom relief. The promotion of light therapy devices in rural areas with low sunlight is warranted.

The role of affective temperaments as a factor of vulnerability to seasonal affective disorder

BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests the relevance of affective temperaments in the development of mood disorders. This study aims to assess their potential role as a vulnerability factor for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal SAD (S-SAD) in a sample of young individuals without a history of clinical diagnosis. MethodsEight hundred and forty-six university students were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Participants were evaluated for exclusion and inclusion criteria and divided into Control, S-SAD, and SAD groups. They filled out two self-administered questionnaires to assess the degree of seasonality problems and the predominant type of affective temperaments, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), and the Temperament Evaluation Instrument of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Auto-questionnaire version scale (briefTEMPS-M version). We conducted a multinomial logistic regression model to explore the relationship between affective temperaments and seasonality. ResultsOur results evidenced that cyclothymic [χ2 (2) = 33.486, p < 0.001] and anxious [χ2 (2) = 86.991, p < 0.001] temperaments were significant predictors in the model, suggesting that individuals with cyclothymic and anxious temperaments are at increased risk of developing SAD, due to heightened seasonal changes in mood and behavior. In contrast, people with hyperthymic temperament appear less susceptible to experiencing seasonal problems. LimitationsThe homogeneity of the sample; only retrospective self-reported data were considered; measures of temperament and seasonality were simultaneously assessed. ConclusionsUnderstanding which affective temperaments may constitute a potential predisposing factor for vulnerability to seasonal changes can aid in better assessing SAD and predicting its outcome.

Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Correlates of Lithium Treatment for Bipolar Disorder in Asia.

As clinical practices with lithium salts for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD) are poorly documented in Asia, we studied the prevalence and clinical correlates of lithium use there to support international comparisons. We conducted a cross-sectional study of use and dosing of lithium salts for BD patients across 13 Asian sites and evaluated bivariate relationships of lithium treatment with clinical correlates followed by multivariate logistic regression modeling. In a total of 2139 BD participants (52.3% women) of mean age 42.4 years, lithium salts were prescribed in 27.3% of cases overall, varying among regions from 3.20% to 59.5%. Associated with lithium treatment were male sex, presence of euthymia or mild depression, and a history of seasonal mood change. Other mood stabilizers usually were given with lithium, often at relatively high doses. Lithium use was associated with newly emerging and dose-dependent risk of tremors as well as risk of hypothyroidism. We found no significant differences in rates of clinical remission or of suicidal behavior if treatment included lithium or not. Study findings clarify current prevalence, dosing, and clinical correlates of lithium treatment for BD in Asia. This information should support clinical decision-making regarding treatment of BD patients and international comparisons of therapeutic practices.

Seasonality contributes to depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders in the Finnish general adult population

BackgroundEarlier evidence suggests that the seasonal changes in mood and behavior are associated with mental disorders, especially with mood disorders. However, the extent of these associations has not been analyzed by using large samples of the general population. MethodsA random sample of adults, aged 29 to 97 years and representative of the general population living in Finland, attended a nationwide health examination survey. Mental disorders were assessed with the Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI, n = 4554). Of them, the seasonal variations in mood and behavior (seasonality) were assessed with the six items of the Global Seasonality Score (GSS, n = 4004) as well as with the experienced problem due to these variations. ResultsAfter adjusting for age, gender, level of education, and region of residence, the GSS was associated with depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders (all p < 0.001). Of the GSS items, mood was associated with depressive disorders (p < 0.001), anxiety disorders (p = 0.003) and alcohol use disorders (p = 0.008), whereas appetite was associated only with depressive disorders (p = 0.012), and energy level only with anxiety disorders (p = 0.025). LimitationsThis cross-sectional study was based on self-reported data on the seasonal pattern. ConclusionsSeasonality had significant associations with depressive, anxiety and alcohol use disorders among the general adult population. This needs attention in clinical practice.

Seasonal changes in mood and behavior contribute to suicidality and worthlessness in a population-based study

Limited evidence suggests that the seasonal changes in mood and behavior may associate with suicidality and the feelings of worthlessness, but these associations have not been analyzed in large population-based data. A random sample of adults (n = 4069), representative of the general population living in Finland, attended a nationwide health examination survey. Seasonal variations (seasonality) in mood and behavior were analyzed with the six items of global seasonality score (GSS) and the experienced problem due to these variations. Their impact on suicidality as well as on the feelings of worthlessness were analyzed using logistic regression models. After adjusting for age and gender, the GSS, each of its six items and the experienced problem due to the seasonal variations in mood and behavior all showed separately a significant association with suicidality as well as with worthlessness. After further adjustment for the education level and region of residence, the GSS, its mood item and the experienced problem remained significantly associated with both suicidality and worthlessness. Seasonal variations in mood and behavior have a significant association with both suicidality and worthlessness.

Seasonal sensitivity and psychiatric morbidity: study about seasonal affective disorder

BackgroundSeasonal Affective Disorder is a recurrent depressive disorder which usually begins in the fall/winter and enters into remission in the spring/summer, although in some cases may occur in the summer with remission in the autumn-winter. In this study the authors evaluated the association between seasonal changes in mood and behavior with psychiatric disturbance.MethodDescriptive, cross-sectional study. Participants, students attending higher education and vocational courses (N = 324), were evaluated with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) and the Screening Scale for Mental Health (ER80).ResultsAmong the respondents, 12.7% showed seasonal affective disorder (SAD), 29.0% showed subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (s-SAD) and 58.3% did not show significant seasonal affective symptomatology. As for psychiatric morbidity, 36.6% of subjects with SAD and 13.8% of those with s-SAD were considered “psychiatric cases” whereas for subjects without SAD this value was only 3.2%.ConclusionsThere is a statistically significant association between psychiatric morbidity and seasonal affective disorder. This association corroborates the importance of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire in screening for seasonal fluctuations in mood and behavior related disorders, and the clinical need for recognition of these conditions, particularly associated suffering and disabilities.

C-L Psychiatrists Launch Innovative Model of Mental Health Care for Residents

C-L Psychiatrists Launch Innovative Model of Mental Health Care for Residents

Clock gene polygenic risk score and seasonality in major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Seasonal changes in mood and diurnal preference are two well-characterized chronobiological phenotypes in major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). The biological mechanisms regulating physiological changes related to seasonality and chronotype involve several genes known as "clock" or circadian genes. Our goal was to study the relationship between the polygenic risk score (PRS) obtained from a set of clock genes and chronobiological traits in patients with mood disorders. The sample included 445 patients with mood disorders (256 MDD; 189 BD). Seasonality was assessed using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), and chronotype was assessed using the Horne and Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. We selected 248 single nucleotide polymorphisms located within 19 genes. PRS for both MDD and BD was calculated using the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium latest datasets as discovery samples. Another PRS was calculated using results from a genome-wide association study focusing on chronotype. SPAQ results were significantly associated with MDD-PRS (p = 0.037) and chronotype-PRS (p = 0.019), which also showed a significant interaction with age (p = 0.039). No significant association was observed between the measured PRS and chronotype. Our results reflect that small effect variants associated with MDD and chronotype within clock genes are associated with seasonality traits in patients with mood disorders, further explaining the mechanism through which the circadian system might influence mood disorder clinical presentation. Future studies measuring PRS from specific gene sets and focusing on biological endophenotypes will help to elucidate the pathways from genetic variations to clinical outcome.

Seasonal affective disorder and seasonal changes in weight and sleep duration are inversely associated with plasma adiponectin levels

Overlapping pathways between mood and metabolic regulation have increasingly been reported. Although impaired regulation of adiponectin, a major metabolism-regulating hormone, has been implicated in major depressive disorder, its role in seasonal changes in mood and seasonal affective disorder-winter type (SAD), a disorder characterized by onset of mood impairment and metabolic dysregulation (e.g., carbohydrate craving and weight gain) in fall/winter and spontaneous alleviation in spring/summer, has not been previously studied. We studied a convenience sample of 636 Old Order Amish (mean (± SD), 53.6 (±14.8) years; 50.1% males), a population with self-imposed restriction on network electric light at home, and low prevalence of total SAD (t-SAD = syndromal + subsyndromal). We calculated the global seasonality score (GSS), estimated SAD and subsyndromal-SAD after obtaining Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaires (SPAQs), and measured overnight fasting plasma adiponectin levels. We then tested associations between plasma adiponectin levels and GSS, t-SAD, winter-summer difference in self-reported sleep duration, and self-reported seasonal weight change, by using analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) and linear regression analysis after adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Participants with t-SAD (N = 14; 2.2%) had significantly lower plasma adiponectin levels (mean ± SEM, 8.76 ± 1.56 μg/mL) than those without t-SAD (mean ± SEM, 11.93 ± 0.22 μg/mL) (p = 0.035). In addition, there was significant negative association between adiponectin levels and winter-summer difference in self-reported sleep duration (p = 0.025) and between adiponectin levels and self-reported seasonal change in weight (p = 0.006). There was no significant association between GSS and adiponectin levels (p = 0.88). To our knowledge, this is the first study testing the association of SAD with adiponectin levels. Replication and extension of our findings longitudinally and, then, interventionally, may implicate low adiponectin as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in SAD.

F130. Association Study of Melatonin Pathway Genes With Seasonality and Circadian Preference in Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex genetic disorder, therefore approaches using an endophenotype such as biological rhythm could be an alternative. In this study, we investigated the relationship between melatonin pathway genes and seasonal mood changes and circadian preference as life characteristics in bipolar patients.

Women have seasonal changes in mood throughout the year

Women have seasonal changes in mood throughout the year

Association of G-Protein β3 Subunit C825T Polymorphism with Seasonal Variations in Mood and Behavior.

Objective Seasonal affective disorder and seasonal changes in mood and behavior are associated with several genes that regulate circadian rhythms. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the C825T polymorphism of the G-protein β3 subunit and seasonal variations in mood and behavior in a young healthy Korean population. Methods A total of 507 young Korean participants were recruited through a newspaper advertisement, and their seasonality was evaluated by the Korean version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire to assess the global seasonality score (GSS). We analyzed the CC, CT, and TT genotypes and their association with the GSS score and subscales. Results T allele carriers of the GNB3 C825T polymorphism were more likely to score higher on body weight and GSS. In the female group, the T allele carriers obtained significantly high total GSS and its subscale scores for mood, body weight, energy level, and appetite; however, differences in genotypes and allele carriers were also observed in the male participants. Conclusion These results suggested that GNB3 C825T polymorphism plays a role in seasonal variations in mood, body weight, energy level, and appetite in a Korean population, particularly in females.

Associations of depression and seasonality with morning-evening preference: Comparison of contributions of its morning and evening components

Despite predominance of positive findings on associations of morning-evening preference with seasonality and depression, it remains to be clarified whether morning and evening components of this preference equally contribute to these associations and whether these associations persist after accounting for confounding variables. Data on retrospectively reported seasonal changes in well-being, mood, and behaviors were collected from 2398 residents of West Siberia, South and North Yakutia, Chukotka, Alaska, and Turkmenistan. Other self-reports included mental and physical health, sleep duration, and adaptabilities of the sleep-wake cycle. Depression was found to be linked to morning rather than evening component of morning-evening preference, i.e., morning lateness. Morning lateness was also linked to retrospectively reported degree of seasonal changes rather than to severity of problems associated with such changes. Variation in morning-evening preference explained not more than 2% and 4% of the total variation in depression and seasonality, respectively. The associations became even weaker but remained significant after accounting for other differences between respondents, such as their gender, age, physical health, and adaptability of their sleep-wake cycle. These results have practical relevance for understanding of the roles playing by morning earliness and insensitivity to seasonal changes in the environment to protection against different mood disorders.

Seasonal variation and alcohol consumption: A retrospective observational study

IntroductionSeasonal and geographic variations in light exposure influence human mood and behavior, including alcohol consumption. In literature alcohol consumption have a clear seasonal rhythm, with specific differences during the year . Seasonal changes in mood and behavior (seasonality) may be closely related to alcoholism. The aim of our study is to evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and seasonal variation.MethodOne hundred and nine inpatient are assessed with: the SCID-P for axis I diagnosis. Inclusion criteria are: (1) acute alcohol intoxication at the admission. All the socio-demographic characteristics are explained.ResultsThe peak period of alcohol admission is in the autumn, the lowest period is in spring in April and May. There is any significant difference related to gender. The 76% of the admission are coerced admission. The rates of co-morbidity are: personality disorders (30.3%), affective disorders (22.9%) and psychotic disorders (12.8%).Discussion and conclusionSome patients with alcoholism have a seasonal pattern to their alcohol misuse. Several lines of evidence suggest that changes in the circadian system are also involved in the development of non-seasonal mood disorders, such as major depression and bipolar disorder. Thus, developmental alcohol exposure produces subtle abnormalities in circadian rhythms that may contribute to the development of seasonal and non-seasonal mood disorders. Further research is warranted to replicate our clinical and qualitative observations and, in general, quantitative studies in large samples followed up over time are needed. Methodological limitations, clinical implications and suggestions for future research directions are considered.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Seasonal affective disorder and alcohol abuse disorder in a population-based study

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a recurrent major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern, which is characterized by sad mood, low energy, longer sleep duration and carbohydrate craving. Furthermore, seasonal changes in mood and behavior may be closely related to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Nevertheless, there is scarce research on the study of cognitive impairments in SAD and AUD. We aimed to examine the relationship between the prevalence between SAD and AUD patients, and how cognitive functioning might be related to these variables. To do this, a sample of 8135 Finnish subjects was invited to take part in the population-based Health 2011 Survey, of whom 5903 did participate and 4554 were interviewed for mental health status with the Munich version of Composite International Diagnostic Interview. They also completed the modified Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, the Mini–Mental State Examination, the category (animals) verbal fluency test, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Our results reveal the existence of a strong link between SAD and AUD in a large sample of Finnish population, as well as association between SAD and short-term memory problems.

Winter is coming: Seasonality and the acoustic startle reflex

Circannual rhythms and seasonality have long been in the interest of research. In humans, seasonal changes in mood have been extensively investigated since a substantial part of the population experiences worsening of mood during winter. Questions remain regarding accompanying physiological phenomena. We report seasonal effects on the acoustic startle response in a cross-sectional (n=124) and a longitudinal sample (n=23). Startle magnitudes were larger in winter (sample 1: p=0.026; sample 2: p=0.010) compared to summer months. Although the findings need to be replicated they may have implications regarding the timing of startle experiments.

Seasonality in mood and behaviours of Japanese residents in high-latitude regions: transnational cross-sectional study.

BackgroundDaylight hours in high-latitude regions tend to be longer than those in Japan in summer, and shorter than those in Japan in winter. For example, daylight hours in London in winter are one-third those of Tokyo. Therefore, this study investigated and compared seasonal changes in mood and behaviours of Japanese individuals living in and outside Japan.MethodsSurveys were conducted with Japanese residents in summer and winter in the UK (n = 106), Nordic countries (n = 40), Southeast Asia (n = 50), and Japan (n = 96). First, summer and winter General Health Questionnaire–28 (GHQ28) scores of each regional group were analysed. Subsequently, month-wise differences in mood and behaviours were compared across the four geographical regions.ResultsSummer and winter GHQ28 scores of participants living in the UK and Nordic countries differed significantly, while no seasonal differences were observed for residents in Japan and Southeast Asia. Further, in the UK and Nordic countries, summer was associated with better mood and more activity, while winter was linked to lowered mood and reduced activity.ConclusionThe results indicate that Japanese living in the UK and Nordic countries (high-latitude regions) experience seasonal fluctuations in depressive symptoms that may be linked to drastic seasonal environmental changes. Observed over a 12-month period, their mood and behaviour declined in winter and improved in summer. Therefore, considering the prevalence of overseas stressors that differ from those in their home country, it is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of support systems that help migrants adapt to seasonal changes in high-latitude regions.

Seasonal mood changes in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is frequently associated with mood disorders. However, to date, the co-occurrence of OCD with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has not been investigated. We have aimed to estimate the prevalence of seasonal mood changes in patients with OCD and explore the contribution of seasonality in mood to the severity of OCD. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), the Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale (Y-BOCS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 Items (HDRS-17), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered to patients with OCD (n=104) and controls (n=125). The degree of seasonality was measured by the Global Seasonality Score (GSS) calculated from the SPAQ. SAD and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) were significantly more prevalent in patients with OCD (53%, n=55) than controls (25%, n=31). When patients were assessed in the season in which SAD occurs, depression and compulsions (but not obsessions, OCD or anxiety) were more severe than those assessed in a season during which SAD does not occur. SAD frequently co-occurs with OCD and, given this co-occurrence, depression symptoms in some patients with OCD might be expected to vary on a seasonal basis.

SIRT1 Polymorphisms Associate with Seasonal Weight Variation, Depressive Disorders, and Diastolic Blood Pressure in the General Population.

SIRT1 polymorphisms have previously been associated with depressive and anxiety disorders. We aimed at confirming these earlier findings and extending the analyses to seasonal variations in mood and behavior. Three tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected to capture the common variation in the SIRT1 gene. 5910 individuals (with blood sample, diagnostic interview, self-report of on seasonal changes in mood and behavior) were selected from a representative Finnish nationwide population-based sample. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the associations between the SNPs and depressive and anxiety disorders, metabolic syndrome (EGIR criteria) and its components, and health examination measurements, Homeostasis Model Assessments, and diagnoses of type 2 and type 1 diabetes. SIRT1 rs2273773 showed evidence of association with seasonal variation in weight (C-allele, OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76–0.95, p = 0.005). In addition, our study gave further support for the association of SIRT1 gene with depressive disorders (rs3758391) and diastolic blood pressure (rs2273773).

Seasonality shows evidence for polygenic architecture and genetic correlation with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

To test common genetic variants for association with seasonality (seasonal changes in mood and behavior) and to investigate whether there are shared genetic risk factors between psychiatric disorders and seasonality. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted in Australian (between 1988 and 1990 and between 2010 and 2013) and Amish (between May 2010 and December 2011) samples in whom the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) had been administered, and the results were meta-analyzed in a total sample of 4,156 individuals. Genetic risk scores based on results from prior large GWAS studies of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia were calculated to test for overlap in risk between psychiatric disorders and seasonality. The most significant association was with rs11825064 (P = 1.7 × 10⁻⁶, β = 0.64, standard error = 0.13), an intergenic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) found on chromosome 11. The evidence for overlap in risk factors was strongest for schizophrenia and seasonality, with the schizophrenia genetic profile scores explaining 3% of the variance in log-transformed global seasonality scores. Bipolar disorder genetic profile scores were also associated with seasonality, although at much weaker levels (minimum P value = 3.4 × 10⁻³), and no evidence for overlap in risk was detected between MDD and seasonality. Common SNPs of large effect most likely do not exist for seasonality in the populations examined. As expected, there were overlapping genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder (but not MDD) with seasonality. Unexpectedly, the risk for schizophrenia and seasonality had the largest overlap, an unprecedented finding that requires replication in other populations and has potential clinical implications considering overlapping cognitive deficits in seasonal affective disorders and schizophrenia.