SEASON OF BIRTH AND SEASONALLY DEPENDENT MANIFESTATIONS OF PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) represents a subgroup of major depre ssion with a regular occurence of symptoms in autumn and winter. Seaso nal patterns in other psychiatric disorders were described (e.g. anxie ty disorders, eating disorders, chronic fatigue). The principle of sai sonality was also used to describe the seasons of birth in affective d isorders and schizophrenia. We examined two different forms of saisona lity (saison of birth and saisonal disorders) in three psychiatric gro ups (schizophrenic patients, patients with neurosis, patients with alc ohol- and drug-dependency). Dependent on different subtypes within the se examined groups we found different results for season of birth and saisonally dependent manifestation of illness.