The Relevance of Epigenetics to Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), first described in 1984 (Rosenthal, 2009), is not considered to be a separate and unique mood disorder, but rather to be a specifier of major depressive disorder (Lurie et al. 2006). The overall prevalence of SAD is thought to range from 0% to 9.7% (Lurie et al. 2006). This estimate varies based on the specific population being studied and whether the disorder is diagnosed by a screening questionnaire or a more rigorous clinical interview (Lurie et al. 2006). The clinical presentation of SAD comprises the following (Rosenthal, 2009): patients are predominantly women who become regularly depressed in autumn and winter and experience remission in spring and summer.

Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - July 10, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Jacob Peedicayil Source Type: research