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A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data

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Seasonality in affective disorders using SPAQ.

Ajit Avasthi¹, Nitin Gupta, Pramanand Kulhara

¹AJIT AVASTHI. Additional Professor, Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh-160012, India Tel.: 0172-715520 (R) 747585 Ext. 6803 (O) Fax : 0172-744401 medinst@pgi.chd.nicin.

Indian Journal of Psychiatry

|January 6, 2011

Summary

This study found a low prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in North India, with only 2.85% of patients meeting criteria. This suggests seasonality may not be strongly linked to affective disorder development in this region.

Keywords:

Affective Disorders SPAQ Seasonality

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Mood Disorders
Epidemiology

Background:

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a subtype of affective disorder with no definitive treatments.
Prevalence of SAD varies significantly with climate and latitude.
Understanding SAD's characteristics and prevalence in diverse populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prevalence of SAD in North India.
To identify socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of SAD patients.
To explore the relationship between seasonality and the development of affective disorders.

Main Methods:

A cross-sectional study involving 421 consecutive patients with affective disorders at a tertiary care psychiatric center in North India.
Assessment using Socio-demographic profile sheet, Seasonality Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), Dysfunctional Assessment Questionnaire, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Mania Rating Scale.
Patients were evaluated for syndromal/subsyndromal SAD based on SPAQ Global Severity Score.

Main Results:

The study identified a low prevalence of 2.85% for syndromal/subsyndromal SAD.
The most common diagnosis was Severe Depressive Episode with/without Psychotic Symptoms (ICD-10).
No significant differences were found in socio-clinical variables, family history, or illness severity between 'Seasonality' and 'Non-Seasonality' groups.

Conclusions:

The low SAD prevalence may be attributed to the assessment methodology (year-round assessment, direct interview).
Seasonality might not be a primary factor in the development of affective disorders in this North Indian population.
Further research is needed to elucidate the complex relationship between seasonality and affective disorders across different geographical regions.