This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Michael R. Eastwood, MD, FRCP(C), FRCPsych; Susan Stiasny, BSc, MBA

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1978;35(6):769-771.

Abstract
• psychiatric disorder has been considered to have seasonal variation for a long time. The studies to date have suffered frequently from small samples and imprecise terminology, and the results have been inconclusive. This study has attempted to overcome these difficulties by examining hospital admissions to all facilities in the province of Ontario for a six-year period, with each year carefully divided into seasons. Statistically significant seasonal variation, with peaks in the spring and fall, was found overall for neurotic and endogenous depression. Alcoholism also showed a spring peak. No other diagnoses, overall, showed seasonality, although personality disorders, drug addictions, and transient situational disturbances exhibited trends similar to neurotic depression for certain age and sex groups. The findings are discussed in terms of their clinical and research significance.

Author Affiliations
From the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Measurement in Psychological Medicine Section, Toronto.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Sept 8, 1977.

Reprint requests to Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Measurement in Psychological Medicine Section, 250 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada (Dr Eastwood).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Seasonal Variation of Depression and Other Moods: A Longitudinal Approach
Harmatz et al.
J Biol Rhythms 2000;15:344-350.
ABSTRACT  

Seasonal Mood Disorders: Patterns of Seasonal Recurrence in Mania and Depression
Faedda et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1993;50:17-23.
ABSTRACT  

Epidemiological Findings of Seasonal Changes in Mood and Behavior: A Telephone Survey of Montgomery County, Maryland
Kasper et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1989;46:823-833.
ABSTRACT  

Seasonal Affective Disorder, Hibernation, and Annual Cycles in Animals: Chipmunks in the Sky
Mrosovsky
J Biol Rhythms 1988;3:189-207.
 

Infradian Rhythms: A Comparison of Affective Disorders and Normal Persons
Eastwood et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1985;42:295-299.
ABSTRACT  

Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Description of the Syndrome and Preliminary Findings With Light Therapy
Rosenthal et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 1984;41:72-80.
ABSTRACT