title: Seasonal affective disorder in college students: prevalence and latitude.
abstract: The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to evaluate a convenience sample of college students in northern New England for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal SAD. Seventy-six students filled out the questionnaire and the inventory in mid-fall, then completed the inventory again in mid-February. The students who had moved from southern latitudes to northern New England were the most likely to experience increased depression in winter. Prevalence rates for SAD and sub-SAD combined (winter 13.2 and 19.7%, respectively) were slightly higher than those reported in previous research. The prevalence of SAD was also higher in female students, which was consistent with findings in previous research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, USA.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Low
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Feissner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities