Seasonal trends in depressive problems among United States children and adolescents: a representative population survey.

This study examined season-of-assessment differences in parent and child reports of depressive problems on well-validated instruments in 2009 U.S. children and adolescents, aged 6 to 18 years, from a nationally representative population survey. A parent completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for each participant and 1226 of the 11-18-year-olds completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Outcome measures were CBCL and YSR withdrawn/depressed syndrome scale scores and rates of clinically elevated scores. Overall fall/winter versus spring/summer differences were not found on the CBCL or YSR for depressive problem severity or rates of depressive problems. Age, sex, and latitude were examined as potential moderators of the association between season-of-assessment and the outcomes. Of these, the effect of season-of-assessment on CBCL depressive problem severity depended upon age. Parents of 16-18-year-old adolescents rated depressive problems as significantly more severe in fall and winter than in spring and summer. Parents also rated depressive problems as significantly more severe in 16-18-year-olds than in 6-15-year-olds, but only when assessed in the fall and winter. There were no season-of-assessment differences among 6-15-year-old children and adolescents. The overall lack of season-of-assessment differences and the finding of age as a moderator on only one of four outcomes suggest minimal seasonality effects.