According to the National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, can be defined as periods of seasonal depression where people feel unlike themselves when the seasons start to change. Typical symptoms start to manifest in late fall and early winter, during this time people start to feel down and this phenomenon is also known as winter blues. In contrast, as summer or spring approaches, these symptoms go away and people start to feel better.
However, it is also possible that some people may also suffer from depressive episodes in the summer. Approximately 10% of the people who suffer from seasonal depression experience it in the summer too.
The Mayo Clinic has pointed out oversleeping, isolation, cravings for carbohydrate-intensive foods, and tiredness or low energy as the symptoms of fall and winter seasonal depression. Patients who suffer from seasonal depression during spring and summer are usually plagued with insomnia, weight loss, irritability, and anxiety.
If these symptoms prevail for long, get severe, and start to impact the daily activities of an individual, it can be said that the person is developing a clinical level of depression. The condition is not as widespread as other psychological disorders and only around 5% of the population of Americans suffers from seasonal depression.
While the exact causes of seasonal depression are unknown, licensed clinical psychologist, Christopher Hagan has said that reduced daylight might be a contributing factor.
“If we’re doing less of the things that we enjoy, seeing people less often, spending less time outside, getting less exercise or less activity, all of those things are going to contribute to depression for some people,” Hagan said.
Kristie Norwood, director of Hampton University’s Student Counseling Center, has said that daylight savings time only aggravates the issue for people who live on the east coast in the U.S. and usually have ample daylight particularly struggle as the darkness indicates to them that they should be resting and asleep, even though it is still time to be active. Transitioning to and from daylight savings time leads to sleep disturbance which in turn can cause mood swings, especially in people who already struggle with anxiety or depression.
A 2017 study from Denmark also discovered how the transition from summer to standard time affected depressive episodes. The transition has been associated with an over 10% increase in depressive episodes that last for over 10 weeks.
Light therapy is one of the most common treatments for seasonal depression and has been practiced for over 40 years. Under this therapy, patients are exposed to a bright light box emitting light of 10,000 lux every day in the morning for 30-45 minutes during winter months. The light that these devices emit is 20 times brighter than typical indoor light and is helpful in improving cognitive function and mood.
Apart from light therapy, people who suffer from seasonal depression can also use medication such as Bupropion to deal with the symptoms. In addition to this, behavioral therapy may also be a possible treatment plan. Staying active and making a proactive effort to stay out during daylight hours can also be beneficial for patients.
