Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of daily weather variables on psychosis admissions to psychiatric hospitals

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Several studies have noted seasonal variations in admission rates of patients with psychotic illnesses. However, the changeable daily meteorological patterns within seasons have never been examined in any great depth in the context of admission rates. A handful of small studies have posed interesting questions regarding a potential link between psychiatric admission rates and meteorological variables such as environmental temperature (especially heat waves) and sunshine. In this study, we used simple non-parametric testing and more complex ARIMA and time-series regression analysis to examine whether daily meteorological patterns (wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, rainfall, sunshine, sunlight and temperature) exert an influence on admission rates for psychotic disorders across 12 regions in Ireland. Although there were some weak but interesting trends for temperature, barometric pressure and sunshine, the meteorological patterns ultimately did not exert a clinically significant influence over admissions for psychosis. Further analysis is needed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajdacic-Gross V, Lauber C, Sansossio R, Bopp M, Eich D, Gostynski M et al (2007) Seasonal associations between weather conditions and suicide—evidence against a classic hypothesis. Am J Epidemiol 165(5):561–569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arfken C, Zeman LL, Yeager L, Mischel E, Amirsadri A (2002) Frequent visitors to psychiatric emergency services: staff attitudes and temporal patterns. J Behav Health Serv Res 29(4):490–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barker A, Hawton K, Fagg J, Jennison C (1994) Seasonal and weather factors in parasuicide. Br J Psychiatry 165(3):375–380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Box GEP, Jenkins GM (1970) Time series analysis: forecasting and control. Holden Day, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng JYW, Ko RYL, Chen EMLN (2008) Meta-regression analysis using latitude as moderator of paternal age related schizophrenia risk: high ambient temperature induced de novo mutations or is it related to the cold? Schizophr Res 99:71–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chotai J, Serretti A, Lattuada E, Lorenzi C, Lilli R (2003) Gene-environment interaction in psychiatric disorders as indicated by season of birth variations in tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine receptor (DRD4) gene polymorphisms. Psychiatry Res 119:99–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke M, Moran P, Keogh F, Morris M, Kinsella A, Walsh D, Larkin C, O’Callaghan E (1998) Seasonal influences on admissions in schizophrenia and affective disorder in Ireland. Schizophr Res 34:143–149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke M, Moran P, Keogh F, Morris M, Kinsella A, Larkin C, Walsh D, O’Callaghan E (1999) Seasonal influences on admissions for affective disorders and schizophrenia in Ireland: a comparison of first and readmissions. Eur Psychiatr 14:251–255

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels BA, Kirkby KC, Mitchell P, Hay D, Mowry B (2000) Seasonal variation in hospital admission for bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia in Tasmania. Acta Psychiatr Scand 102:38–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Graaf R, van Dorsselaer S, ten Have M, Schoemaker C, Vollebergh WAM (2005) Seasonal variations in mental disorders in the general population of a country with a maritime climate: findings from the Netherlands mental health survey and incidence study. Am J Epidemiol 162:654–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Senarclens C, Assimacopoulos A, Altherr JD, Andrey C, Bloch A (1980) Myocardial infarction and meteorology. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 110(50):1931

    Google Scholar 

  • DSM-IV (1993) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders—4th edn. American Psychiatric Association

  • Federman EJ, Drebing CE, Biosvert C, Penk W, Binus G, Rosenheck R (2000) Relationship between climate and psychiatric inpatient length of stay in Veterans Health Administration hospitals. Am J Psychiatry 157(10):1669–1673

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia CL, Llorca RG, Villoria MMJ, Blazquez GJM, Ledesma JA (1986) Relation between psychiatric emergencies and meteorological factors. Actas Luso Esp Neurol Psiquiatr Cienc Afines 14(2):85–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Geller SH, Shannon HW (1976) The moon, weather and mental hospital contacts: confirmation and explanation of the Transylvania effect. J Psychiatr Nurs Ment Health Serv 14(1):13–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haugh LD (1976) Checking the independence of two covariance-stationary time series: a univariate residual cross-correlation approach. J Am Stat Assoc 71:378–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helfenstein U (1990) Detecting hidden relations between time series of mortality rates. Methods Inf Med 29:57–60

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ICD-10 (1993) Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. World Health Organization, Geneva

  • James R, Griffin A (1968) Seasonal admission rates in Texas mental hospitals. J Clin Psychol 24:200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazakov VF, Savel’ev AA (1991) A retrospective analysis of unfavourable meteorological- magnetic days and of the status of cardiology patients during sanatorium treatment. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 2:43–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller MC, Fredrickson BL, Ybarra O, Cote S, Johnson K, Mikels J et al (2005) A warm heart and a clear head: the contingent effects of weather on mood and cognition. Psychol Sci 16(9):724–731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert GW, Reid C, Kaye DM, Jennings GL, Esler MD (2002) Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. Lancet 360:1840–1842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Large WA, Johnson FN (1980) Psychiatric diagnosis on acute admission related to prevailing weather conditions. Psychiatr Clin (Basel) 13(2):90–95

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacGregor DM (2003) Effect of the weather on attendance with injury at a paediatric emergency department. Emerg Med J 20(2):204–205

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mirrakhimov MM (1979) Human ecological cardiology. Kardiologiia 19(8):44–48

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Modai I, Kikinzon L, Valevski A (1994) Environmental factors and admission rates in patients with major psychiatric disorders. Chronobiol Int 11(3):196–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohshige K, Hori Y, Tochikubo O, Sugiyama M (2006) Influence of weather on emergency transport events coded as stroke: population-based study in Japan. Int J Biometeorol 50(5):305–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey J, Grandner M, Crittenden C, Smith MT, Perlis ML (2005) Meteorologic factors and subjective sleep continuity: a preliminary evaluation. Int J Biometeorology 49:152–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce DA, Haugh LD (1977) Causality in temporal systems. Characterizations and a survey. J Econom 5:265–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruhenstroth-Bauer G, Baumer H, Burkel EM, Sonning W, Filipiak B (1985) Myocardial infarction and the weather: a significant positive correlation between the onset of heart infarct and 28 KHz atmospherics—a pilot study. Clin Cardiol 8(3):149–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Santiago PN, McLay RN, Hammer PS (2005) Meteorologic factors in emergency evaluation, admission and discharge. Psychiatr Serv 56:1625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sato T, Bottlender R, Sievers M, Moller HJ (2006) Distinct seasonality of depressive episodes differentiates unipolar depressive patients with and without depressive mixed states. J Affective Disorders 90:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shanks NJ, Papworth G (2001) Environmental factors and heatstroke. Occup Med (London) 51(1):45–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiloh R, Shapira A, Potchter O, Hermesh H, Popper M, Weizman A (2005) Effects of climate on admission rates of schizophrenia patients to psychiatric hospitals. Eur Psychiatr 20:61–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shin K, Schaffer A, Levitt AJ, Boyle MH (2005) Seasonality in a community sample of bipolar, unipolar and control subjects. J Affective Disorders 86:19–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SPSS (2006) SPSS for Windows. Version 15.0 (2006). SPSS, Chicago, IL

  • Takei N, O’Callaghan E, Sham P, Glover G, Tamura A, Murray R (1992) Seasonality of admissions in the psychoses: effect of diagnosis, sex, and age at onset. Br J Psychiatr 161:506–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Volpe FM, Del Porto JA (2006) Seasonality of admissions for mania in a psychiatric hospital of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. J Affective Disorders 94:243–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willeit M, Praschak-Rieder N, Neumeister A, Zill P, Leisch F, Stastny J et al (2003) A polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter promoter gene is associated with DSM-IV depression subtypes in seasonal affective disorder. Mol Psychiatr 8:942–946

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zenchenko TA, Tsagareshvili EV, Oshchepkova EV, Rogoza AN, Breus TK (2007) On the issue of the effects of geomagnetic and meteorological activity on patients with arterial hypertension. Klin Med (Mosk) 85(1):31–35

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Health Research Board and Met Eireann for supplying the data used in this study.

Declaration of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Ireland

    Stephen McWilliams & Eadbhard O’Callaghan

  2. DETECT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Avila House, Block 5, Blackrock Business Park, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland

    Stephen McWilliams, Anthony Kinsella & Eadbhard O’Callaghan

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University College Dublin, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Eadbhard O’Callaghan

Authors
  1. Stephen McWilliams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anthony Kinsella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eadbhard O’Callaghan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen McWilliams.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McWilliams, S., Kinsella, A. & O’Callaghan, E. The effects of daily weather variables on psychosis admissions to psychiatric hospitals. Int J Biometeorol 57, 497–508 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0575-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0575-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation