Comparison of consultation rates in primary care attenders with and without seasonal affective disorder

Background: There is a lack of published information about the consultation patterns of patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in primary car e, when compared with non-seasonal controls (NSCs). Methods: Interview-conf irmed SAD cases (n = 90) were age- and sex-matched to two controls without significant seasonal morbidity on the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionn aire (SPAQ) (non-seasonal controls, NSCs). A comparison of their consultati on rates was made using data abstracted from primary care records over 4 ye ars. Results: The monthly rate of general practice consultations for SAD ca ses was significantly higher than that for NSCs. There was a significant di fference in the median number of consultations in winter and autumn between the two groups. The matched multivariate analysis revealed that February a nd April were the independent months in which cases of SAD had significantl y more consultations than NSCs. Limitations: Optimal diagnostic criteria fo r SAD have not been determined and our criteria may have been over-inclusiv e. Conclusion: In addition to a marked difference in monthly consultation r ates between SAD cases and NSCs, the data demonstrate a difference in the p attern of seasonality of these rates. It is possible that increased frequen cy of consultation, in particular during the winter months (in patients who scare as a case SPAQ), could be used as an indication of SAD in primary ca re. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.