Season of birth is not related to risk of developing anxiety or depression

By Emily Reynolds A new study has cast doubt on historic research suggesting that the season or month of someone’s birth is associated with an increased risk of certain mental health conditions. The paper, published in Scientific Reports, looks at symptoms of anxiety and depression among more than 70,000 older adults in Europe. And it finds that there is no relationship between when they were born and the likelihood that they experience anxiety or depression. A number of past studies have found a link between season of birth and mental health diagnoses: research has linked bipolar disorder and schizophrenia with birth month, for example. Researchers have suggested that such links could arise from nutrient intake and disease exposure varying across the course of the year. However, evidence has been mixed and more recent studies have suggested that confounding factors, particularly socioeconomic background, has more to do with these diagnoses than month of birth. To see whether season of birth does make a difference to mental health, the team used data from a survey of 72,370 older adults from across Europe, who had been asked questions on their health. Information gathered for this study included their month and season of birth (winter, spring, summer or autumn), and the extent to which they experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety. Overall, there was no significant relationship between participants’ month of birth and symptoms of depression or anx...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Developmental Mental health Source Type: blogs