An observational study in Depressive Symptoms, sponsored by University Hospital, Rouen. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 11 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by University Hospital, Rouen · Observational
The seasonality of affective disorders-particularly depressive symptoms-is well-documented in adults, yet it remains under-researched in adolescents. Recent studies, however, suggest that young people aged 11 to 20 experience marked seasonal fluctuations in mood. In both hospital pediatric settings and the ECLIPSE program, many adolescents are admitted due to depressive symptoms or suicidal crises; however, the role of seasonality in these cases remains largely unexplored. ECLIPSE (a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Liaison and Emergency Consultation Team) is a service at the Rouen University Hospital dedicated to providing emergency and post-emergency care for children and adolescents experiencing psychological distress. It is designed for minors aged 3 to 16 whose psychological state requires prompt intervention, but not hospitalization. Clinical observation suggests that, for some patients, depressive manifestations follow an annual cycle. Identifying such seasonal patterns could help improve our understanding of vulnerability factors and enable the adaptation of prevention and care strategies. The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) (Reynaud et al., 2022)-used in adults (>18 years old) to screen for seasonal affective disorder via a Global Seasonality Score (GSS)-is a simple, self-administered tool that can easily be used with adolescents. Its application in this context would allow for the assessment of the seasonality of depressive symptoms within this hospitalized population.
The hypothesis of this project is that, among adolescents hospitalized in pediatric wards for depressive symptoms, there exists a measurable seasonality of mood-characterized by significant variations in symptoms throughout the year-which can be identified using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).
8,245 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,641 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 210 is above the median of 158 across 1,111 observational studies indexed under Depression.
Browse Depression studies →University Hospital, Rouen is the lead sponsor of 417 studies on the registry; 106 are open to participants now.
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Participants will be recruited from the Rouen University Hospital, within pediatric departments that admit adolescents receiving care for mental health reasons.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Adolescents who agree to participate will be invited to complete the SPAQ questionnaire either independently or with the assistance of a team member. It will be administered on a single occasion and is expected to take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
To assess the intensity of the seasonality of depressive symptoms in adolescents receiving care for child psychiatric reasons at the Rouen University Hospital
The intensity of the seasonality of depressive symptoms will be measured using the continuous Global Seasonality Score (GSS) from the SPAQ. The GSS is the sum of six items related to seasonal variation (sleep, social activity, mood, weight, appetite, and energy), each rated from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 24. A high score indicates greater reported seasonal variations
Time frame: 1 day
Determine the proportion of adolescents with a profile consistent with seasonal affective disorder, based on the Global Seasonality Score (GSS) from the SPAQ.
Proportion of adolescents whose responses to the SPAQ questionnaire correspond to a profile consistent with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or a subsyndromal profile (S-SAD). The classification is based on two complementary elements: * The GSS: the seasonality score, ranging from 0 to 24. * Perceived impairment: the extent to which seasonal variations affect the adolescent's life, assessed via a specific item in the questionnaire. The classification will be based on the following profiles : 1. Profile consistent with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) \- GSS ≥ 11 and at least moderate impairment. The adolescent reports significant seasonal variations, accompanied by at least a moderate impact. 2. Profile compatible with S-SAD (Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder) Two scenarios are possible: * A GSS (Global Seasonality Score) between 8 and 10, accompanied by at least mild impairment. * A GSS ≥ 11, but without significant impairment. Seasonal variations are present, but their
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (age, sex, psychiatric history, context of hospitalization, family psychiatric history (especially disorders)).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (age, sex, medical history, reason for hospitalization, and family and personal psychiatric history).
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (age).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (age)
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (sex).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (sex).
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (psychiatric history).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (psychiatric history).
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (context of hospitalization).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (reason for hospitalization).
Time frame: 1 day
Describe the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with seasonal variation in depressive symptoms (medical history).
Determination of factors associated with seasonality (medical history).
Time frame: 1 day
To evaluate the feasibility of using the SPAQ in an adolescent population hospitalized in a pediatric setting.
The completion rate for the SPAQ questionnaire is an important indicator of the feasibility of its use among adolescents hospitalized in pediatric settings. It makes it possible to measure the proportion of questionnaires that are filled out-ideally, with a sufficient level of completeness to be usable. The completion rate for the SPAQ questionnaire is number of completed questionnaires out of the number of questionnaires for which administration was undertaken. The feasibility of using the SPAQ will be assessed, in particular, by the questionnaire completion rate, defined as the proportion of fully completed and usable questionnaires out of the total number of questionnaires that were initiated.
Time frame: 1 day
To evaluate the relevance of using the SPAQ in an adolescent population hospitalized in a pediatric setting (Taken Time).
The time taken to complete the questionnaire will make it possible to assess its ease of use. The administration time is determined by subtracting the start time from the end time to obtain the duration, in minutes, taken to complete the questionnaire.
Time frame: 1 day
To evaluate the relevance of using the SPAQ in an adolescent population hospitalized in a pediatric setting (Feedback from adolescents).
The aim is to assess the understanding of the questions, the difficulties encountered, and the feelings experienced in relation to the questionnaire. The acceptability of the questionnaire will be assessed by collecting brief feedback from the adolescents after they have completed it. This will focus, in particular, on their understanding of the questions, the ease of filling out the questionnaire, its perceived length, and any difficulties encountered. The responses will be analyzed descriptively, using counts and proportions for the closed-ended questions.
Time frame: 1 day
Comparing the SPAQ score with the clinical assessment of seasonality
This assessment is part of the standard child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation and requires no additional procedures; the clinician will conduct it without knowledge of the SPAQ score. The adolescent completes the questionnaire. The investigator calculates their GSS score, which measures the magnitude of the reported seasonal variations. A child and adolescent psychiatrist explores the seasonal nature of depressive episodes using a semi-structured interview based on DSM-5 criteria. Researchers compare the SPAQ result with the conclusion of the clinical assessment to examine the level of agreement between the two. The DSM-5 is a reference manual used by mental health professionals to describe, classify, and diagnose psychiatric disorders according to defined criteria. The DSM-5 serves as a reference for exploring the seasonal nature of depressive episodes.
Time frame: 1 day
Plan to share: No
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From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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