Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:1436-1441
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Seasonality of symptoms in women with late luteal phase dysphoric disorder
DD Maskall, RW Lam, S Misri, D Carter, AJ Kuan, LN Yatham and AP Zis
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
OBJECTIVE: Both late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD) and seasonal
affective disorder are cyclical disorders often manifested by "atypical"
depressive features. The goal of this study was to determine whether
patients with LLPDD demonstrate substantial seasonal variation in symptoms.
METHOD: Consecutive female patients attending a subspecialty clinic in a
university teaching hospital were assessed by means of DSM-III-R criteria.
All subjects completed the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire,
modified to include items on the seasonality of premenstrual symptoms. The
results were compared with those of a group of female nonclinical subjects
(N = 50). RESULTS: One hundred patients met the DSM-III-R criteria for
LLPDD. Compared to the nonclinical group, the LLPDD patients had a
significantly higher mean global seasonality score (an index of seasonality
of mood and vegetative symptoms) and a significantly higher rate of
seasonal affective disorder (38% versus 8%) as determined by Seasonal
Pattern Assessment Questionnaire criteria. Twenty-five percent of the LLPDD
group rated their seasonal variation in premenstrual symptoms as marked or
severe, while 30% considered seasonal changes in overall symptoms to be a
marked or severe problem. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that patients
with LLPDD have substantial seasonal patterns in mood and premenstrual
symptoms. These seasonal patterns have implications for the clinical
assessment and treatment of LLPDD. For example, light therapy may be
beneficial for women with seasonal worsening of LLPDD.
