Mental Health Problems, are More Common in Winter

A new study published in the journal “American Journal of Preventive Medicine” and carried out by researchers at the University of San Diego, in the U.S., has concluded that Google searches for information on major diseases and mental problems follow patterns seasonal.

This finding suggests, therefore, that there is a relationship between mental illness and seasonality. It is something that more or less known, but the fact is that the correlation could be much stronger than it would have thought so far.

The control population trends regarding mental illness have been a historical challenge for both scientists and clinicians. 

In general, studies have been carried out through telephone surveys that aim to reflect inside the minds of the respondents, but this approach is limited because often these participants may be reluctant to speak honestly about their mental health.

This approach also presents too high material costs. American researchers have come up with a possible solution (even with bias) to this: known hyper search engine Google. The analysis of search trends of the individuals themselves who should be allowed, according to scientists, understanding patterns of population mental health.

Through Google trends, the study team has identified and controlled mental health consultations in the U.S. and Australia from 2006 to 2010. All inquiries related to mental health were captured and then grouped by type of mental illness, including ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders (such as anorexia or bulimia), TOC (obsessive compulsive disorder), schizophrenia and suicide.

With the use of advanced mathematical methods to identify trends, the authors found that all mental health consultations in both countries were substantially higher in winter than in summer.

With bias

It is worth mentioning an important bias at work: without context in searches, it is unclear how the researchers could be sure of the intention behind it, it could be for academic research purposes, for example, or perhaps the search for a friend / family concerned.

In numbers, the researchers have found that the research about eating disorders decreased by 37% in summer in the U.S., and 42% in Australia. With respect to schizophrenia, the percentages were very similar: 37% in the U.S. and 36% in Australia.

Searches for bipolar disorder fell 16% in the North American country and 17% in Australia, the percentage of ADHD move around a reduction of 29% in both countries. For OCD, the figures ranged from 15-18% and, for suicide, between 24-29%.

The mental illness that has a lower seasonal behavior is anxiety, with a variation between summer and winter from 7% in the U.S. and 15% in Australia.

Needless to point out that, consistent beyond percentage change also occurs a remarkable resemblance between the percentages (by disease) in both countries. Not only a seasonal pattern appears to be important, but also detects a prevalence of mental illness similar different countries.

While some mental illnesses have a seasonal pattern well known as seasonal affective disorder, the researchers were impressed by the high percentages of difference between seasons. 

The truth is that they say they do not expect to find neither these figures nor similar maximum values between countries. Scientists predict that even it takes years before these results can really relate with serious mental illness and associated mechanisms that could be included in treatment programs and prevention.

Checking a Simple Experiment

Although San Diego team uses its own mathematical formula to analyze the data, a quick search with Google Trends immediately reveals interesting results for non-professionals. 

Entering “anorexia,” “bulimia” and “eating disorders” for the years 2004 to the present, for example, is seen a marked decline in the searches (the latter is reduced by 80% in 2013).

Yet despite the growing number of pages web0 dedicated to the promotion of eating disorders. However, many of these sites avoid using terms like anorexia, and opt for a more familiar terminology that only those who seek to find them. It is this kind of factors that San Diego team should consider in the future.

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