Effect of Eclipse of the Sun in 1999 on the Psychic State of People

Overview

The author investigates the effect of the eclipse of the sun on a group of 196 patients ofa psychiatric out-patient department and a group of 120 healthy volunteers. Both groups weregiven the same questionnaire within three and six weeks resp. after the eclipse of the sun. Theinvestigation revealed that both groups were affected, but the psychiatric patients did muchworse (27.6% ill patients as compared with 11.7% healthy subjects). Women and patients withthe diagnosis of schizophrenic diseases (F 20-29) were more sensitive to the eclipse. The mostfrequently reported complaints associated with the eclipse were the same in the group ofpatients and that of healthy subjects: anxiety, insomnia, sad mood, headache.

Key words:
eclipse of the sun - ambulatory patients - healthy volunteers - schizophrenia -