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Seasonal changes in mood and behavior: a cluster analytic approach
1Division of Biometry and Applied Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Psychiatry Research
|May 1, 1989
Summary
This study identified distinct seasonal mood patterns in 416 individuals, revealing a subgroup with winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and others with subsyndromal SAD. Many participants showed seasonal influences, with pollen count linked to winter SAD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder with seasonal patterns.
- Subsyndromal SAD affects individuals with milder seasonal mood disturbances.
- Understanding the spectrum of seasonal mood variations is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate seasonal mood patterns in a general population sample.
- To identify distinct clusters of individuals based on seasonal affective symptoms.
- To explore potential environmental triggers associated with SAD.
Main Methods:
- Cluster analysis of 416 subjects from Montgomery County, Maryland.
- Utilized the telephone version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).
- Assessed responses related to seasonal changes and mood.
Main Results:
- Identified eight distinct clusters of seasonal mood patterns.
- One small cluster resembled winter SAD.
- A larger group showed subsyndromal winter SAD patterns, and many were affected by seasons. Notably, high pollen counts correlated with winter SAD symptoms. Evidence for summer subsyndromal SAD was also found.
Conclusions:
- Seasonal mood variations are prevalent in the general population.
- Subsyndromal SAD and winter SAD patterns exist within the community.
- Environmental factors like pollen may influence SAD symptomology.