OBJECTIVE: Most prevalence studies of seasonal changes in mood and
behavior have come from Western countries. The authors' goal was to
determine the prevalence of seasonal changes in mood and behavior in a
randomly selected group of Japanese workers. METHOD: They administered a
Japanese translation of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire to
1,276 civil servants in Nagoya, Japan. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of
winter seasonal affective disorder was 0.86%, the estimated prevalence of
winter subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder was 0.86%, the estimated
prevalence of summer seasonal affective disorder was 0.94%, and the
estimated prevalence of summer subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder was
2.12%. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that seasonal changes in mood and
behavior occur in Japan, but at a lower frequency and with a different
profile than in the United States or Europe.Abstract Teaser