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Mood, latitude, and seasonality among adolescents
A Sourander1, M Koskelainen, H Helenius
1Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University, Finland.
Objective:
To examine the effect of sex, latitude, and behavior problems on symptoms related to pediatric seasonal affective disorder among seventh and ninth graders.
Method:
A school survey including a modified version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire was carried out in 2 Finnish cities located in the 60th and 67th northern latitudes. Altogether 1,458 questionnaires were analyzed, representing 89% of the target population.
Results:
Seasonal changes in mood and behavior were commonly reported among seventh and ninth graders. A high Global Seasonality score (> 95th percentile) was associated with female gender and emotional and hyperactivity symptoms. During February and March, girls living in the 67th latitude reported more seasonal distress than girls living at the 60th latitude.
Conclusions:
It is important to recognize pediatric seasonal affective disorder and related problems among adolescents. Seasonal alterations in child and adolescent behavior are not well understood and need to be investigated more thoroughly.