Background and Aim: Seasonal patterns of food intake are found in healthy individuals and particularly in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). One nutritional choice is a vegetarian diet. Methods: In a Finnish population study, FINRISK 2012, information about diet and SAD was collected. In a Dutch outpatient clinic, SAD patients were asked if they were vegetarian. Results: The percentage of SAD patients among Finnish vegetarians was 4 times higher than in the normal population. The percentage of vegetarians among the SAD patients in a Dutch outpatient clinic was 3 times higher than in the normal population. In the Dutch population, the seasonal loss of energy, in particular, is related to vegetarianism. Conclusion: These findings suggest a possible link between vegetarianism and SAD.

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Vegetarians and vegans are more preoccupied with their health and conscious of their food habits than omnivores and often have pronounced views on killing animals for food. They are generally aware of a healthy lifestyle. Their mental attitudes, strengths and vulnerabilities may differ from meat eaters. Nowadays, health considerations would seem to play a role in the decision to become vegetarian/vegan. This chapter presents an overview of the most recent scientific literature with some emphasis on aspects of the relation between psychiatric disorders and personality characteristics in subjects with a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle compared to subjects who do not follow this lifestyle.