This study investigated the prevalence of comorbid panic disorder in
patients with recurrent wintertime episodes of major depression. The
subjects were 38 patients (10 male and 28 female) who met the DSM-III-R
criteria for major depression with a seasonal pattern (wintertime
depression). Diagnoses of panic disorder were made according to the DSM-
III-R criteria. Nine (23.7%) of the subjects (four women and five men) met
the criteria for panic disorder. Their panic attacks and depressive
symptoms had simultaneous onset in the fall or winter and remitted
spontaneously in the spring. Patients with winter depression appear to be
at high risk for simultaneous panic disorder, consistent with results from
studies in which season of illness was not considered.
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