Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T21:19:27.702Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Influence of Climate on the Prevalence of Mania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

C. E. Monaghan
Affiliation:
University Department of Psychiatry, Regional Hospital, Galway

Abstract

Monthly rates of admission of manic patients to the Department of Psychiatry in Galway Regional Hospital were examined for a five-year period. Monthly variation in admission rates was compared with monthly levels of sunshine, temperature and daylength. Results indicated a significant seasonal variation in the prevalence of mania: admission rates were higher in the sunnier months and in months with a greater average daylength. It is suggested that the presentation of mania in this fashion is due to an abnormal response to light in these patients.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bradbeer, M. (1984) Ions and the office headache. Spectrum, No. 188, 1516.Google Scholar
Hawkins, L. H. (1981) The influence of air ions, temperature and humidity on subjective wellbeing and comfort. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1, 279292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Healy, D., Carney, P. A. & Leonard, B. E. (1983) Monoamine-related markers of depression: changes following treatment. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 17, 251260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krueger, A. P. & Reed, E. J. (1976) Biological impact of small air ions. Science, 193, 12091213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewy, A. J., Wehr, T. A., Goodwin, F. K., Newsome, D. A. & Rosenthal, N. E. (1981) Manic–depressive patients may be supersensitive to light. The Lancet, i, 383384.Google Scholar
Lewy, A. J., Nurnberger, J. I., Wehr, T. A. Pack, D., Becker, L. E., Powell, R. L. & Newsome, D. A. (1985) Supersensitivity to light: possible trait marker for manic-depressive illness. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 725727.Google ScholarPubMed
Mawson, D. & Smith, A. (1981) Relative humidity and manic admissions in the London area. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 134138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Myers, D. H. & Davies, P. (1978) The seasonal incidence of mania and its relationship to climatic variables. British Journal of Psychiatry, 8, 433440.Google Scholar
Sulman, F. G. (1971) Meteorologische frontverschiebung und wetterfuligkeit – Feohn, Chemsin, Scharaw. Aerztliche Praxis, 23, 998999.Google Scholar
Sulman, F. G. (1974) Meteorological front movements and human weather sensitivity. Karger Gazette, 30, 16.Google Scholar
Symonds, R. L. & Williams, P. (1976) Seasonal variation in the incidence of mania. British Journal of Psychiatry, 129, 4548.Google Scholar
Synge, J. M. (1980) The oppression of the hills In Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara (eds Gmelch, G. & Saddlemyer, A.). Dublin: O'Brien Press.Google Scholar
Walter, S. D. (1977) Seasonality of mania: a reappraisal. British Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 345350.Google Scholar
Winokur, G. (1976) Duration of illness prior to hospitalisation (onset) in the affective disorders. Neuropsychobiology, 2, 8793.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.