Spring fever

For works entitled "Spring Fever", see Spring Fever (disambiguation).
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Spring fever is a term applied to various mood, physical, or behavioral changes, which may be experienced coinciding with the arrival of spring. It is not a medical term, and is not considered a disease or malfunction of the human body.[1] In general it refers to an increase in energy, vitality, and particularly sexual appetite, as well as a feeling of restlessness, associated with the end of winter. It is this sense that inspires the use of the term as a title for several works of literature and entertainment.

The concept may have a biological basis.[2] A lift in mood with the arrival of spring, and longer periods of daylight, is often particularly strong in those suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), who experience lows or depression during the winter months.[3]

The term "spring fever" may rarely or erroneously be used to describe an opposite effect of springtime lethargy or depression.

Notes

  1. "Psychiatry: A Pseudo-Science?". Encognitive.Com. 2006-04-20. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  2. Nicholson, Christie. "Fact or Fiction?: 'Spring Fever' Is a Real Phenomenon: Scientific American". Sciam.com. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  3. "Science of Spring Fever". The Times. 2006. Archived from the original on July 27, 2008.
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