title: Seasonal variation in admissions of psychiatric patients and its relation to seasonal variation in their births.
abstract: Inpatient admissions to all psychiatric hospital beds in England and Wales in 1970-73 were studied by month of admission for eight diagnostic groups. The admission rates for schizophrenia showed a pronounced seasonal variation, with a maximum in summer. The seasonal pattern for schizophrenia was very similar to the one shown for mania, although somewhat less marked. The admission rates for neurosis and for the large group of 'all other non-psychotic mental illness' showed little evidence of seasonal variation as there was could largely be explained by social factors. In schizophrenic and manic patients, the pattern of seasonal admissions (peak months July and August) is similar to the pattern reported for their births (peak months February and March). This is consistent with the hypothesis of an abnormal seasonal pattern of parental conception as the cause of the abnormal birth pattern.
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder; D004739:England; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012621:Seasons; D014852:Wales
references.citation: Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi. 1963 Jul;17:101-12
references.pmid: 14098971
references.citation: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1976 Oct;54(4):267-74
references.pmid: 998325
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1971 Oct;119(551):445-8
references.pmid: 5129278
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1976 Jul;129:49-54
references.pmid: 938804
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1976 Jul;129:45-8
references.pmid: 938803
references.citation: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1975 Jul;52(1):69-79
references.pmid: 1155204
references.citation: Br J Prev Soc Med. 1975 Mar;29(1):18-21
references.pmid: 1137765
references.citation: Am J Psychiatry. 1975 Nov;132(11):1168-71
references.pmid: 1166894