PSYCHOLOGICAL-FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOOD DISORDERS WITH A SEASONAL PATTERN

The psychiatric records of a 7-year period were searched for cases wit h seasonal mood disorders. Among 358 cases with a mood disorder there were 41 patients with 3 or more admissions, 4 of which were demonstrat ing a seasonal pattern. It was found that the depressive or manic epis odes of these patients were anniversary reactions associated with inte nse traumatic experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. The seasonal pattern of the depressive episodes fulfilled the DSM-IV diagn ostic criteria. The time and sometimes the place of the traumatic even t acted as triggers eliciting the clinical symptoms. This study showed that anniversary reactions may constitute a subgroup of seasonal mood disorders manifesting both depressive and manic episodes, which are p recipitated primarily by psychological factors rather than climatic co nditions.