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Insight in seasonal affective disorder
S N Ghaemi1, G S Sachs, C F Baldassano
1Center on Neuroscience, Medical Progress, and Society, Department of Psychiatry, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Comprehensive Psychiatry
|December 24, 1997
Summary
Patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have moderate insight into their depressive symptoms, which does not change after recovery. Increased symptom severity may correlate with greater insight in SAD.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Insight is crucial for treating psychotic and affective disorders.
- Limited research exists on insight within Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate insight into depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with SAD.
- To examine changes in insight following light therapy treatment for SAD.
Main Methods:
- Thirty SAD patients underwent short-term light therapy.
- Insight was assessed using a modified Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD).
- Insight was measured during depressive episodes and after recovery.
Main Results:
- SAD patients exhibited moderate insight when depressed (mean SUMD score, 2.5).
- Insight levels did not significantly change after recovery (mean SUMD score, 2.8).
- Greater insight correlated with higher Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) scores (r = .35, P < .05).
Conclusions:
- SAD patients possess moderate insight into their depressive symptoms.
- Insight in SAD does not significantly alter post-recovery.
- Increased illness severity may be linked to enhanced insight in SAD, supporting depressive realism.