Sickness Behavior and Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Immunological Perspective of Depression

We describe a case of 45-year-old female suffering from chronic hepatitis B and bronchial asthma who presented with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and sickness behavior. The case report illustrates syndromal and sub syndromal presentations of depression such as sickness behavior in support of “malaise theory of depression” from psychoneuroimmunological perspective. The current case depicts the complex interplay of inflammatory physical illness, medication and manifestations of depression in an individual case. Thus, the physicians and psychiatrists must be vigilant regarding the psychiatric manifestations of physical illness with immune-inflammatory component.