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1: Can J Psychiatry. 2005 Apr;50(5):292-5.Links

Quality of life in patients with seasonal affective disorder: summer vs winter scores.

Michalak EE, Tam EM, Manjunath CV, Levitt AJ, Levitan RD, Lam RW.

Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. emichala@interchange.ubc.ca

OBJECTIVE: To compare perceived quality of life (QoL) in patients diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter and summer months. METHODS: Twenty-six patients who were enrolled in an ongoing multicentre study in Canada completed 2 measures of QoL (the 20-item Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form General Health Survey [SF-20] and the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, [Q-LES-Q]) during the winter, when suffering from depression, and again during the summer months. RESULTS: Both general and health-related QoL scores were significantly improved in patients with SAD during the summer months, with scores for the most part falling within normal range. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived QoL in patients with SAD is markedly impaired during the winter months but shows a substantial rebound during the summer months. The findings of this study provide further evidence that SAD is a distinct diagnostic entity.

PMID: 15968846 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]