Psychopathology of Seasonal Affective Disorder Patients in Comparison With Major Depression Patients Who Have Attempted Suicide

SUMMARYSeasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a recurrent form of major depression, particularly occurring in the winter months with a generally spontaneous remission in spring/summer. The predictable nature of this condition provides a potentially unique opportunity to prevent recurrence in sufferers of SAD. The Cochrane Review discussed here examines the evidence for melatonin and agomelatine in preventing SAD, putting its findings into their clinical context.

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Hypericum in the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorders

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology ◽

10.1177/089198879400701s09 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 7 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 29-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

B. Martinez ◽

S. Kasper ◽

S. Ruhrmann ◽

H.-J. Möller

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Light Condition ◽

Light Therapy ◽

Hamilton Depression Scale ◽

Full Remission ◽

Significant Difference

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) represents a subgroup of major depression with a regular occurrence of symptoms in autumn/winter and full remission in spring/summer. Light therapy (LT) has become the standard treatment of this type of depression. Apart from this, pharmacotherapy with antidepressants also seems to provide an improvement of SAD symptoms. The aim of this controlled, single-blind study was to evaluate if hypericum, a plant extract, could be beneficial in treating SAD patients and whether the combination with LT would be additionally advantageous. Patients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for major depression with seasonal pattern were randomized in a 4-week treatment study with 900 mg of hypericum per day combined with either bright (3000 lux, n = 10) or dim (< 300 lux, n = 10) light condition. Light therapy was applied for 2 hours daily. We found a significant (MANOVA, P < .001) reduction of the Hamilton Depression Scale score in both groups but no significant difference between the two groups. Our data suggest that pharmacologic treatment with hypericum may be an efficient therapy in patients with seasonal affective disorder.

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Seasonal Affective Disorder Presenting as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/070674379103600911 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 36 (9) ◽

pp. 680-682 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Raymond W. Lam

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Seasonal Depression ◽

Operational Criteria

Although operational criteria have been recently proposed to better define chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), it remains a controversial diagnosis. There are many overlapping symptoms between CFS and major depression. The author presents two patients with seasonal affective disorder, who responded to phototherapy and had previously been diagnosed as CFS. Because of the consequences of treatment, seasonal and non seasonal depression need to be ruled out in patients with chronic fatigue symptoms.

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Social characteristics of seasonal affective disorder patients: comparison with suicide attempters with non-seasonal major depression and other mood disorder patients

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(02)00007-x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 36-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

B.P.G. Pendse ◽

A.. Öjehagen ◽

G. Engström ◽

L. Träskman-Bendz

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Major Depression ◽

Social Functioning ◽

Affective Disorder ◽

Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽

Social Situation ◽

Social Impairment ◽

Global Functioning ◽

Suicide Attempters ◽

The Social

AbstractAlthough it is evident from numerous studies that patients with mood disorders generally have a deficient social functioning and a weak social network, little is known about these aspects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients. We studied the social situation, the social network and the social functioning of SAD (n = 20) patients in comparison with matched suicide attempters (SA) with non-seasonal major depression, and with findings from other major depressive disorder (MDD) studies and community samples. The social situation and the clinical background of both the SAD and the SA groups were almost similar and the social networks were equally disadvantageous and weaker than those observed in some community/healthy populations. Furthermore, the data on global functioning and social adjustment of the SAD group were well comparable to those of other MDD patients and significantly worse than that of a community sample. Thus, the results indicate a considerable social impairment in SAD.

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