Further evidence of seasonality of mania in the tropics.

Background: Findings from various temperate regions have quite consistently shown a spring/summer peak for the occurrence of manic episodes, but inconsistencies can still be found in results from tropical regions. The present study was designed to investigate the seasonal distribution of mania and its correlations to climatic variables, in a large sample of patients visiting the emergency psychiatric room.

Methods: A hospital registry of 5172 emergency psychiatric visits for mania, 2000-2007, at a public psychiatric hospital at Belo Horizonte, Brazil (latitude 19 degrees 55' S), was analyzed.