Seasonal variation of mood and behaviour in a healthy middle-aged population in Japan.
A population survey of seasonality in six representative cities in Japan was conducted using the Japanese version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The questionnaires were given to 951 parents (male: female ratio 1:1 age range 34-59 years) of high-school students. Significant regional differences in seasonal variations of mood, length of sleep, and weight were observed; the proportion of individuals reporting high seasonality in the two northern cities was significantly higher than that in the other areas. These results provide evidence for a northern predominance in the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Japan.
Okawa
M
M
Department of Psychophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Chiba, Japan.
Shirakawa
S
S
Uchiyama
M
M
Oguri
M
M
Kohsaka
M
M
Mishima
K
K
Sakamoto
K
K
Inoue
H
H
Kamei
K
K
Takahashi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011159:Population Surveillance; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014887:Weather