Investigation of prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and seasonality-related mental disorders in adolescence, and establishment of treatment method for these disorders

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The aim of this study was as follows : First, to elucidate the prevalence rate of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in adolescence. Second, to describe the symptomatologic characteristics of patients with SAD. Third, to clarify the regulatory factor of Global Seasonality Score (GSS).In the first study, first-year students from 7 Universities in 2003 and 2004 school years were divided into two groups : a high-GSS group scoring 13 and over, and a low-GSS group scoring 12 and below. Structured diagnostic interview using SCID-I was conducted for 40 students in each University. All students who belonged to the high-GSS had an interview. The rest of students were randomly selected from the low-GSS. In the second study, relationship among GSS, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and climatic environment in which students graduated from high schools, was investigated using first-year students from 8 Universities in 2003 school year.Of the 12916 students from 7 Universities, 8596 respond … More ed GSS accurately. 151 of 202 high-GSS students and 110 of 118 low-GSS students had a structured diagnostic interview, and 7 and 1 fulfilled criteria for SAD and 12 and 2 for social phobia (SP), respectively. The estimate of prevalence of SAD was 0.96%, and there were no gender differences in prevalence. Students with SAD were associated with significant rates of SP.Of the 10871 students from 8 Universities, 6443 responded all questions accurately. Pass analysis using GSS score, amount of solar radiation, length of sunshine duration and 7 factors of TCI, showed that high GSS score was regulated by not sunshine environment, but low self-directedness, low cooperativeness, high self-transcendence, high novelty seeking and high harm avoidance. The profile of high GSS score shown here indicates "schizotypal character" in Cloninger's cube.These results indicate two possibilities : First, because of the estimated rate of SAD prevalence in first-year university students is approximately 1%, the number of patients with SAD may be quite a few. Second, there may be a common biological basis in SAD and SP. Less