Use of health care services in seasonal affective disorder

Little is known about the presentation and management of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in primary care. To determine the use of health care services by people suffering from SAD. Following a screening of patients consulting in primary care, 123 were identified as suffering from SAD. Each was age...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 2002-05, Vol.180 (5), p.449-454
Main Authors: Eagles, John M., Howie, Fiona L., Cameron, Isobel M., Wileman, Samantha M., Andrew, Jane E., Robertson, Carol, Naji, Simon A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Care records
Comorbidity
Diagnostic Tests, Routine - statistics & numerical data
Emotions
Female
Health care
Help seeking behavior
Humans
Interviews
Male
Medical referrals
Medical screening
Mental depression
Middle Aged
Morbidity
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Patients
Prescription drugs
Primary care
Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Psychiatry
Referral and Consultation - statistics & numerical data
Scotland
Seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder - complications
Seasonal Affective Disorder - psychology
Suffering
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Summary:Little is known about the presentation and management of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in primary care. To determine the use of health care services by people suffering from SAD. Following a screening of patients consulting in primary care, 123 were identified as suffering from SAD. Each was age- and gender-matched with two primary care consulters with minimal seasonal morbidity, yielding 246 non-seasonal controls. From primary care records, health care usage over a 5-year period was established. Patients with SAD consulted in primary care significantly more often than controls and presented with a wider variety of symptoms. They received more prescriptions, underwent more investigations and had more referrals to secondary care. Patients with SAD are heavy users of health care services. This may reflect the condition itself, its comorbidity or factors related to the personality or help-seeking behaviour of sufferers.
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.180.5.449