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. Key Words: depressionlatitudemoodseasonal affective disorderwomen Additional informationNotes on contributorsJoshua M. Feissner Kathryn G. Low is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, where Joshua M. Feissner is a research assistant.