The purpose of this study was to investigate: (1)whether seasonal affective disorders (SADs) exist among affective disorders in Korea: (2) if there were SADs in Korea, whether they would be different from other countries' reports describing SAD
as
having atypical depressive symptoms: and (3) Is there any difference between winter depression and summer depression as shown in the studies from other countries : ie, WD shows atypical depressive symptoms and SD shows typical depressive
symptoms?
The 76 subjects having had suffered relapses for at least 2 years in succession, were selected from 375 patients with affective disorder who had been admitted to the Department of Neuropsychiatry of Kyung Hee University Hospital during the 10
years.
From 1 January 1980 to 31 December 1989.
This study was done by reviewing their records. Making a compaison between SAD with depression(n=23) and nonseasonal affective disorder(NSAD) with depression(n=25). Also, another comparison was made between SD(n=14) and WD(n=9) in SAD. They were
analyzed according to sex, age of onset, season of birth, occupation, premorbid personality, family history of psychosis, and atypical depressive symptoms-hypersomnia, hyperphagia. Carbohydrate craving, and irritability.
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1) There indeed were patients with SAD in Korea. The prevalence of SAD in this study was 10.9%.
2) Comparison between SAD and NSAD with depression: There was a significantly higher number of patients with NSAD with depression among those with indoor occupations and in families with a history of psychosis compared with patients with SAD
with
depression (p<0.05). There were no significant difference between them in other factors.
3) Comparison between SD and WD in SAD: There were no significant difference between them in all factors.
4) In conclusion. SAD exists in Korea. But, there are no significant differences in depressive symptoms between SAD and NSAD with depression. or between SD and WD as is the case in the previous studies from other countries.
|