Mood Worsening on Days with High Pollen Counts is associated with a Summer Pattern of Seasonality
Akram Faisal,
Jennings Tyler B.,
Stiller John W.,
Lowry Christopher A.,
Postolache Teodor T.
Affiliations
Akram Faisal
Mood and Anxiety Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
Jennings Tyler B.
Mood and Anxiety Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
Stiller John W.
Mood and Anxiety Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
Lowry Christopher A.
Department of Integrative Physiology, Center for Neuroscience, and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; Military and Veteran Microbiome: Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE), Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Postolache Teodor T.
Mood and Anxiety Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA; Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Psychiatry Residency Training Program, Washington, DC, 20032, USA; Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Veterans Health Administration, Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (RMRVAMC), Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; Amish Research Clinic of the University of Maryland, Lancaster, PA, 17602, USA; [email protected]
Background: Summer/spring-type seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) is the less common subtype of seasonal affective disorder and evidence regarding potential triggers of S-SAD is scarce. Recent reports support association of airborne-pollen with seasonal exacerbation of depression (mood seasonality) and timing of suicidal behavior. Therefore, we hypothesized that Old Order Amish (OOA) with summer/spring pattern of seasonality (abbreviated as summer pattern) and S-SAD will have significant mood worsening on high pollen days.
