Seasonal longitudinal effects of winter birth on psychopathology, cognition, and functioning in schizophrenia-spectrum and affective disorders: Findings from the PsyCourse Study

Journal of Affective Disorders 2026 Open access

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Authors: Anaid Pérez‐Ramos, Monika Budde, Kristina Adorjan, Sílvia Amoretti, Ion‐George Anghelescu, Volker Arolt, Bernhard T. Baune, Udo Dannlowski, Detlef E. Dietrich, Andreas J. Fallgatter, Christian Figge, Marina Garriga
+25 more Clemente García‐Rizo, Nora Guasch-Capella, Maria Heilbronner, Fabian U. Lang, Georg Juckel, Mojtaba Oraki Kohshour, Carsten Konrad, Anabel Martínez‐Arán, Gisela Mezquida, Alba Navarro-Flores, Daniela Reich‐Erkelenz, Jens Reimer, Eva Z. Reininghaus, Fanny Senner, Max Schmauß, Andrea Schmitt, Eva C. Schulte, Carsten Spitzer, Eduard Vieta, Jens Wiltfang, Peter Falkai, Thomas G. Schulze, Sergi Papiol, Carla Torrent, Urs Heilbronner
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.121848
Cited by: 1
References: 59

Abstract

AIMS: Winter birth (WB) is a replicated risk factor for mental health conditions, potentially due to third-trimester Vitamin D deficiency and maternal viral infections. Beyond diagnosis, WB is associated with psychopathology, cognition, and functionality as epiphenomena. We analysed these outcomes in psychosis and affective disorders, considering illness duration and sex-specific effects. METHODS: We included 535 individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum and 667 with affective disorders from the PsyCourse Study, evaluated at four time points over 18 months. Participants were stratified by the birth season: winter vs. other seasons and by duration of illness (

Fields of Study & Subjects

Circadian rhythm and melatonin Climate Change and Health Impacts Stress Responses and Cortisol

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
408
Pages
121848–121848
Publication date
23 April 2026
Language
EN