Use of health care services in seasonal affective disorder

Abstract

Patients with SAD are heavy users of health care services. This may reflect the condition itself, its comorbidity or factors related to the personality or help-seeking behaviour of sufferers.

Light therapy and the management of winter depression

“…Other psychiatrists go further, asserting that it is a potentially misleading and harmful myth for people who seek illegitimate refuge in the sick role. The high demands that patients with the disorder make on several areas of the health service, as mentioned above (Eagles et al, 2002), can be seen as support for this view. Furthermore, longitudinal studies reveal that the course of patients diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder can be quite variable; some remit, some pursue a continuing seasonal pattern and some develop a non-seasonal pattern of recurrence.…”

“…Many patients will experience winter fatigue and somnolence as greater problems than depression itself, contributing to a greater likelihood that patients and doctors might somatise the disorder. In our study of winter depression in primary care (Eagles et al, 2002), in comparison with control subjects, patients underwent many more investigations (notably for suspected anaemia or hypothyroidism) and received more prescriptions covering a wide range of different physical ailments. Winter depression had been diagnosed only very rarely by the patients' general practitioners.…”

Occupational risk of affective and stress-related disorders in the Danish workforce

“…More women are employed in occupational settings that are part of or related to health services, and women are generally more inclined to seek medical assistance. This finding may explain why women are more often diagnosed, but not necessarily more affected by depressive and stress-related disorders (49,50).…”

The Seasonal Health Questionnaire is more effective at detecting seasonal affective disorder than the Seasonal Pattern Adjustment Questionnaire

“…Currently, SAD very often goes unrecognised and untreated 4 ; a more robust screening instrument which diagnoses a more realistic prevalence of sufferers may help to improve this situation.…”