Is Depression Seasonal or Regional?

BY NEIL SUNDAY, DATA ANALYST

Q: Is there a relationship between Depression

     diagnosis rates by month, season, or region?

A: Yes …Well kind of …

Greater percentages of patients with Depression as their primary diagnosis were admitted into treatment during the Summer and Autumn months.

Regionally, the Northeast region accounts for the highest percentage of patients with a primary diagnosis of Depression.

We must remember that correlation is not causation and that many factors such as personal and interpersonal dynamics, reimbursement, demographics, and social influences should be acknowledged when observing diagnostic patterns.

*For this analysis, Seasonal Depression is reported as 311 Depressive disorder, not elsewhere classified.

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