Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:04:40.672Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal affective disorder and latitude of living

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2011

Greta Brancaleoni ,
Elena Nikitenkova ,
Luigi Grassi  and
Vidje Hansen
Greta Brancaleoni
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, and Psychiatric Department, University Hospital North (Norway)
Elena Nikitenkova
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø (Norway)
Luigi Grassi
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara (Italy)
Vidje Hansen*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, and Psychiatric Department, University Hospital North (Norway)
*
Address fo correspondence: Dr. V. Hansen, Department of Clinical Psychiatry, Psychiatric dep. UNN, PO box 6124, N-9291 Tromsø (Norway). Fax: +47-77-62.78 06, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Aim – Since the importance of latitude of living for the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is unclear, the study aims to test the latitude hypothesis by comparing SAD in two rather similar groups of students living at latitudes far apart. Methods – Two groups of students, 199 in Tromsø, Norway (690 N) and 188 in Ferrara, Italy (440 N) were asked to fill in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire. Results – Global Seasonality score (GS-score) was significantly higher in Italian than in Norwegian students, in females and in students with sleeping-problems. Norwegian students had significantly higher SAD prevalence in winter and in spring. Most people in both countries felt worst in October and November, and the prevalence of Autumn SAD was not significantly different between the two countries. Conclusions – The hypothesis that SAD is linked to amount of environmental light and latitude of living was not supported.

Declaration of Interest: The study was fully financed by the University of Tromsø and the University Hospital North Norway, and there are no conflicts of interests.

Keywords

seasonal affective disorderseasonal pattern assessment questionnaireprevalencelatitude
Type
Original Articles
Information
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2009 , pp. 336 - 343
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4. ed., text revision. American Psychiatric Association: Washington DC.Google Scholar
Avasthi, A., Sharma, A., Gupta, N., Kulhara, P., Varma, V.K., Malhotra, S. & Mattoo, S.K. (2001). Seasonality and affective disorders: a report from North India. Journal of Affective Disorders 64, 145–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Axelsson, J., Káradóttir, R. & Karlsson, M. (2002a). Differences in prevalence of seasonal affective disorder that are not explained by either genetic or latitude differences. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 61, 17–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Axelsson, J., Stefansson, J.G., Magnusson, A., Sigvaldason, H. & Karlsson, M. (2002b). Seasonal affective disorders: Relevance of icelandic and icelandic-canadian evidence to etiologic hypotheses. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 47, 153–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chotai, J., Smedh, K., Nilsson, L.G. & Adolfsson, R. (2004). A dual vulnerability hypothesis for seasonal depression is supported by the seasonal pattern assessment questionnaire in relation to temperament and character inventory of personality in a general population. Journal of Affective Disorders 82, 61–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Enns, M.W., Cox, B.J., Levitt, A.J., Levitan, R.D., Morehouse, R., Michalak, E.E. & Lam, R.W. (2006). Personality and seasonal affective disorder: Results from the CAN-SAD study. Journal of Affective Disorders 93, 35–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haggarty, J., Cernovsky, Z. & Husni, M. (2001). The limited influence of latitude in rates of seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 189, 482–484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, V., Lund, E. & Smith-Sivertsen, T. (1998). Self-reported mental distress under the shifting daylight in the high north. Psychological Medicine 28, 447–452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, V., Skre, I., Lund, E. (2008). What is this thing called “SAD”? A critique of the concept of seasonal affective disorder. Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale 17, 120–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Husby, R. & Lingjærde, O.(1990). Prevalence of reported sleeplessness in northern Norway, in relation to sex, age and season. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 81, 542–547.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kasper, S., Wehr, T.A., Bartko, J.J., Gaist, P.A. & Rosenthal, N.E. (1989). Epidemiological findings of seasonal changes in mood and behaviour. Archives of General Psychiatry 46, 823–833.Google Scholar
Levitt, A.J. & Boyle, M.H. (2002). The impact of latitude on the prevalence of seasonal depression. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 47, 361–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewy, A.J., Sack, R.L., Miller, S. & Hoban, T. (1987). Antidepressant and circadian phase-shifting effects of light. Science 235, 352–354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lund, E. & Hansen, V. (2001). Responses to the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire in different seasons. American Journal of Psychiatry 158, 316–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Magnusson, A. (2000). An overview of epidemiological studies on seasonal affective disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 101, 176–184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mersch, P., Middendorp, H., Bouhuys, A.L., Beersma, D. & van den Hoofdakker, R.H. (1999). Seasonal affective disorder and latitude: a review of the literature. Journal of Affective Disorders 53, 35–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michalak, E.E. & Lam, R.W. (2002). Seasonal affective disorder: The latitude hypothesis revisited. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 47, 787.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michalak, E.E., Wilkinson, C., Hood, K., Dowrick, C. & Wilkinson, G. (2003). Seasonality, negative life events and social support in a community sample. British Journal of Psychiatry 182, 434–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michalak, E.E., Jang, K.L., Tam, E.M., Yatham, L.N., Lam, R.W. & Livesley, W.J. (2004). A comparison of personality function among patients with seasonal depression, nonseasonal depression, and nonclinical participants. Journal of Personality Disorders 18, 448–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morissey, S., Raggatt, P., James, B. & Rogers, J. (1996). Seasonal affective disorder: some epidemiologic findings from a tropical climate. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 30, 579–586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muscettola, G., Barbato, G., Ficca, G., Beatrice, M., Puca, M., Aguglia, E. & Amati, A. (1995). Seasonality of mood in Italy: role of latitude and sociocultural factors. Journal of Affective Disorders 33, 135–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nilssen, O., Brenn, T., øyer, G., Lipton, R.I., Boiko, J. & Tkatchev, A. (1999). Self-reported seasonal variation in depression at 78 degree north. The Svalbard Study. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 58, 14–23.Google ScholarPubMed
Pacitti, F., Russo, D., Iannatelli, A. & Bersani, G. (2007). Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Italy (in Italian, abstract in English). Rivista di Psichiatria 42, 272–276.Google Scholar
Potkin, S.G., Zetin, M., Stamnekovic, V., Kripke, D. & Bunney, W.E. (1986). Seasonal Affective Disorder: Prevalence varies with latitude and climate. Journal of Clinical Neuropharmacology 9, 181–183.Google ScholarPubMed
Rosenthal, N.E., Bradt, G.H. & Wehr, T.A. (1984a). Seasonal Pattern Assessment Ouestionnaire. National Institute of Mental Health: Bethesda MD.Google Scholar
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. (1984b). Seasonal Affective Disorder. A description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry 41, 72–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saarijärvi, S., Lauerma, H., Helenius, H. & Saarilehto, S. (1999). Seasonal affective disorders among rural Finns and Lapps. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 99, 95–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapiro, C., Devins, G., Feldman, B. & Levitt, A.J. (2008). Is hypersom-nolence a feature of seasonal affective disorder. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 38, 49–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skou Nilsen, L., Hansen, V. & Olstad, R. (2004). Improvement in mental health over time in Northern Norway. A prospective study of a general population followed for 9 years, with special emphasis on the influence of darkness in winter. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 39, 273–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
SPSS Institute Inc. (2005). SPSS 14.0 for Windows SPSS Institute Inc.: Chicago.Google Scholar
Srisurapanont, M. & Intaprasert, S. (1999). Seasonal variations in mood and behaviour: epidemiological findings in the north tropics. Journal of Affective Disorders 54, 97–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tonetti, L., Barbato, G., Fabbri, M., Adan, A. & Natale, V. (2007). Mood seasonality: a cross-sectional study of subjects aged between 10 and 25 years. Journal of Affective Disorders 97, 155–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (1992). The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders: Clinical Description and Diagnostic Guidelines. World Health Organisation: Geneva.Google Scholar