Is winter depression a bipolar disorder?
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

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Published on: December 2, 2015
D M White1, A J Lewy, R L Sack
1Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
Abstract:
Sixty-one winter depressive patients were evaluated for evidence of bipolar illness. Using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version and the General Behavior Inventory, only nine (15%) could be considered bipolar. On prospective evaluation of patients during the summer following winter depression, few showed signs of manic or hypomanic symptoms. Also, few patients had a family history of bipolar illness. When patients were asked to evaluate symptoms of winter depression, lack of energy was found to be the most prominent feature of the syndrome.
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