Skip to main content
PMC home page
Indian Journal of Psychiatry logoLink to Indian Journal of Psychiatry
. 2003 Jul-Sep;45(3):166–173.

Seasonality in affective disorders using SPAQ

Ajit Avasthi *,*, Nitin Gupta †, Pramanand Kulhara ‡, Pratap Sharan §, Gagandeep Singh , Rajinder Pal Kaur #, Rajni Sharma ♠
PMCID: PMC2952163  PMID: 21206849

Abstract

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a subtype of affective disorder, which causes significant distress but has no-definitive treatments available till date. Research on SAD has shown variable prevalence due to different climates and latitudes in which these studies are carried outThe present study was an attempt to study prevalence of SAD, its socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and relationship between seasonality and development of affective disorder in a tertiary care psychiatric centre in North India. 421 consecutive patients of affective disorder were assessed on Socio-demographic profile sheet. Seasonality Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), Dysfunctional Assessment Questionnaire, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Mania Rating Scale. Most of patients were male and were living in the present climatic area for a mean duration of 35 years. Severe Depressive Episode with/without Psychotic Symptoms was the commonest diagnosis (ICD-10). Most of the patients did not report any variation in mood or behaviour. 2.85% patients were found to have syndromal / subsyndromal SAD based on Global Severity Score of SPAQ. Comparison of ‘Seasonality’ and ‘Non-Seasonality’ groups revealed that both groups were comparable on Socio-clinical variables, family history and severity of illness. Low prevalence of SAD in the present study could be due to the different method of assessment used in the study (assessment lasting for the whole year, direct interview method). It may also be speculated that season of changes are not related to underlying processes or consequent to the development of affective disorders

Keywords: Seasonality, Affective Disorders, SPAQ

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (434.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Avasthi A., Sharma A., Gupta N., Kulhara P., Varma V. K., Malhotra S., Mattoo S. K. Seasonality and affective disorders: a report from North India. J Affect Disord. 2001 May;64(2-3):145–154. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00239-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bech P., Bolwig T. G., Kramp P., Rafaelsen O. J. The Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale and the Hamilton Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1979 Apr;59(4):420–430. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1979.tb04484.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Eagles J. M., Wileman S. M., Cameron I. M., Howie F. L., Lawton K., Gray D. A., Andrew J. E., Naji S. A. Seasonal affective disorder among primary care attenders and a community sample in Aberdeen. Br J Psychiatry. 1999 Nov;175:472–475. doi: 10.1192/bjp.175.5.472. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eastwood M. R., Whitton J. L., Kramer P. M., Peter A. M. Infradian rhythms. A comparison of affective disorders and normal persons. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1985 Mar;42(3):295–299. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790260093011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elbi Hayriye, Noyan Ayşin, Korukoğlu Serdar, Unal Süheyla, Bekaroğlu Mehmet, Oğuzhanoğlu Nalan, Türköz Nurhan, Abay Ercan, Kumbasar Hakan, Yurdakul Sabri. Seasonal affective disorder in eight groups in Turkey: a cross-national perspective. J Affect Disord. 2002 Jun;70(1):77–84. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(01)00332-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Faedda G. L., Tondo L., Teicher M. H., Baldessarini R. J., Gelbard H. A., Floris G. F. Seasonal mood disorders. Patterns of seasonal recurrence in mania and depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993 Jan;50(1):17–23. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820130019004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Garvey M. J., Wesner R., Godes M. Comparison of seasonal and nonseasonal affective disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 1988 Jan;145(1):100–102. doi: 10.1176/ajp.145.1.100. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gupta R. Alternative patterns of seasonal affective disorder: three case reports from north India. Am J Psychiatry. 1988 Apr;145(4):515–516. doi: 10.1176/ajp.145.4.515. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hamilton M. Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. Br J Soc Clin Psychol. 1967 Dec;6(4):278–296. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1967.tb00530.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hegde A. L., Woodson H. Prevalence of seasonal changes in mood and behavior during the winter months in central Texas. Psychiatry Res. 1996 Jun 1;62(3):265–271. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(96)02838-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jain S., Mazumdar P., Chatterji S., Sundaresan P., Murthy R. S. Seasonal relapses in affective disorder in the Tropics: a prospective follow-up of 12 patients. Psychopathology. 1992;25(3):166–172. doi: 10.1159/000284768. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kasper S., Kamo T. Seasonality in major depressed inpatients. J Affect Disord. 1990 Aug;19(4):243–248. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(90)90101-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kasper S., Wehr T. A., Bartko J. J., Gaist P. A., Rosenthal N. E. Epidemiological findings of seasonal changes in mood and behavior. A telephone survey of Montgomery County, Maryland. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Sep;46(9):823–833. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810090065010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Magnusson A. An overview of epidemiological studies on seasonal affective disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2000 Mar;101(3):176–184. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Magnusson A., Friis S., Opjordsmoen S. Internal consistency of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). J Affect Disord. 1997 Feb;42(2-3):113–116. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00104-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Magnusson A. Validation of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). J Affect Disord. 1996 Oct 14;40(3):121–129. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(96)00036-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mersch P. P., Middendorp H. M., Bouhuys A. L., Beersma D. G., van den Hoofdakker R. H. Seasonal affective disorder and latitude: a review of the literature. J Affect Disord. 1999 Apr;53(1):35–48. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(98)00097-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Raheja S. K., King E. A., Thompson C. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire for identifying seasonal affective disorders. J Affect Disord. 1996 Dec 16;41(3):193–199. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(96)00087-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rosen L. N., Targum S. D., Terman M., Bryant M. J., Hoffman H., Kasper S. F., Hamovit J. R., Docherty J. P., Welch B., Rosenthal N. E. Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder at four latitudes. Psychiatry Res. 1990 Feb;31(2):131–144. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(90)90116-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rosenthal N. E., Sack D. A., Gillin J. C., Lewy A. J., Goodwin F. K., Davenport Y., Mueller P. S., Newsome D. A., Wehr T. A. Seasonal affective disorder. A description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Jan;41(1):72–80. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790120076010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sakamoto K., Kamo T., Nakadaira S., Tamura A., Takahashi K. A nationwide survey of seasonal affective disorder at 53 outpatient university clinics in Japan. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1993 Apr;87(4):258–265. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1993.tb03368.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Takahashi K., Asano Y., Kohsaka M., Okawa M., Sasaki M., Honda Y., Higuchi T., Yamazaki J., Ishizuka Y., Kawaguchi K. Multi-center study of seasonal affective disorders in Japan. A preliminary report. J Affect Disord. 1991 Jan;21(1):57–65. doi: 10.1016/0165-0327(91)90019-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Terman M. On the question of mechanism in phototherapy for seasonal affective disorder: considerations of clinical efficacy and epidemiology. J Biol Rhythms. 1988 Summer;3(2):155–172. doi: 10.1177/074873048800300205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Westrin A., Engstöm G., Ekman R., Träskman-Bendz L. Correlations between plasma-neuropeptides and temperament dimensions differ between suicidal patients and healthy controls. J Affect Disord. 1998 Apr;49(1):45–54. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(97)00197-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Williams R. J., Schmidt G. G. Frequency of seasonal affective disorder among individuals seeking treatment at a northern Canadian mental health center. Psychiatry Res. 1993 Jan;46(1):41–45. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(93)90006-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Indian Journal of Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of Wolters Kluwer -- Medknow Publications

RESOURCES