Overview

• Researchers at Kwantlen Polytechnic University surveyed 303 adults over two months using PHQ-9 and GAD-7 assessments to gauge depression and anxiety.
• Men born in June through August reported significantly higher depression symptoms later in life, whereas women showed no seasonal pattern.
• The authors note the study’s brief early-2024 timeframe and predominantly college-aged sample may limit the findings’ generalizability.
• Investigators propose that maternal environmental factors during pregnancy, including sunlight exposure and ambient temperature, could drive the sex-specific effect.
• Published in PLOS Mental Health, the researchers call for larger, more diverse cohorts to replicate the correlation and uncover underlying mechanisms.