The study aimed to explore the relationship between the season of birth and the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety in adulthood. It involved 303 participants with an average age of 26 years, from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Vancouver, including 106 men and 197 women. Researchers used the ‘PHQ-9’ questionnaires to assess depression symptoms and ‘GAD-7’ to measure anxiety. Participants were divided according to their birth dates into the four seasons: spring (March – May), summer (June – August), autumn (September – November), and winter (December – February), according to ‘BGNES’.
The results showed that 84% of participants suffered from varying degrees of depression, while 66% exhibited anxiety symptoms, with no clear link between anxiety and the season of birth. However, the study found that men born in the summer specifically showed higher levels of depression symptoms compared to their counterparts born in other seasons, according to the ‘PHQ-9’ questionnaire results.
Although the study included a small and limited sample of university students, researchers believe it lays the groundwork for further studies examining biological factors related to gender, such as exposure to sunlight, temperature, and maternal health during pregnancy, and their impact on mental health in later stages of life.
