Cognitive and Psychophysiological Correlates of Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder

This study longitudinally examined cognitive and psychophysiological factors in females who met criteria for subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) and nondepressed, low seasonality controls. Participants (N = 46) were tested twice, during one winter month (i.e., December or January) and during one nonwinter month (i.e., September or April). At each assessment, participants completed measures of negative automatic thought frequency, mood, and seasonality as well as three experimental tasks (a psychophysiological task, a schematic faces task, and a modified Stroop task). Women with S-SAD and controls differed at both assessments on frequency of automatic negative thoughts and emotional and psychophysiological reactivity to light-relevant stimuli. These results highlight the need for research examining a possible cognitive vulnerability to symptom development and maintenance across the spectrum of seasonality.