Birth month and depressive and suicidal symptoms in an elderly Australian sample born in the Southern or Northern Hemisphere.
We examined the relationship between season of birth and depressive and suicidal symptoms among 859 elderly outpatients. Date and country of birth were recorded for each participant. Those in utero during the Northern or Southern Hemisphere flu peak were expected to show the highest depressive and suicidal symptoms. Hypotheses were partially supported.
Pfaff
Jon J
JJ
Unit of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
Bernert
Rebecca A
RA
Hollar
Daniel L
DL
Witte
Tracy K
TK
Merrill
Katherine A
KA
Pettit
Jeremy W
JW
Almeida
Osvaldo P
OP
Joiner
Thomas E
TE
D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036801:Parturition; D012621:Seasons; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019371:Topography, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data