Seasonal affective disorder

Periodic follow-up visits every 4-8 weeks, during both autumn and winter months and spring and summer months, are helpful to monitor longer-term progress. For patients treated for autumn- or winter-onset seasonal affective disorder, follow-up evaluation during the spring or summer months is recommended to assess symptom remission or the possibility of manic or hypo-manic symptom initiation.

Follow-up may allow the physician the opportunity to re-initiate treatment if indicated. Relapse rates can be common and fairly rapid after discontinuing light therapy and pharmacotherapy prematurely. For bipolar patients prescribed mood stabilising drugs, routine serum blood level monitoring is required to monitor therapeutic blood levels and to offset toxicity risk.