Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of serious depression that appears at the same time each year, starting in the fall or winter and symptoms goes away in the spring. Some people also suffer from less common type of SAD known as summer onset depression, which usually starts in the late spring and feel much better in winter.

What are the risk factors for SAD?

1. women
2. People of young age and old age.
3. People who have a close relatives with Seasonal affective disorder
4. People who live in very cold or very hot area.

What causes the Seasonal affective disorder?

Exact mechanism of SAD is still unknown but believed that SAD has been linked to an imbalance in the brain due to lack of sunlight in the winter. Other specific factors that may come into play include:

Serotonin levels: serotonin is chemical that affect mood which is produced and act by sunlight .Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, perhaps leading to SAD.

Melatonin level: As same as serotonin.

What are the symptoms of Seasonal affective disorder?

Different people do not experience the same symptoms but the common symptoms of winter-onset SAD include:

1. Depressed mood
2. Lost of interest in usually enjoyable activities
3. Fatigue
4. Poor concentration
5. Thoughts of death or suicide
6. Sleeping more
7. Weight gain
8. Irritability
9. Behavior disturbance
10. Loss of sex drive

Symptoms of summer-onset Seasonal affective disorder include:

1. Loss of appetite
2. Insomnia
3. Weight loss
4. Irritability and anxiety
5. Agitation
6. Increased sex drive

The symptoms of SAD come back every year, and for any specific person, they tend to come and go at about the same time each year.

How to diagnosed SAD?

Diagnosis mainly relies on taking complete history; some lab test may be needed to rule out an underlying problem.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to diagnosis SAD. The following criteria must be needed for a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder:

1. Patients experienced depression and other symptoms of Sad for at least two consecutive years, during the same season each year.
2. The periods of depression have been followed by periods without depression
3. There are no other explanations for the changes in your mood or behavior.

How Seasonal affective disorder managed?

Treatment for SAD includes lifestyle modification, light therapy, antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.

• Life style modification includes:

1. make home and environment sunnier and bright
2. Take sun bath
3. Exercise regularly

• Light therapy: This is the most effective treatment option for seasonal affective disorder. Generally, light therapy takes about 30 minutes each day throughout the fall and winter, in severe depressed patient if light therapy helps, continue it until enough sunlight is available, typically in the springtime. Stopping light therapy too soon can allow the symptoms to come back.
• antidepressant medication include:

1. Bupropion (extended-release antidepressant)
2. paroxetine, sertraline
3. fluoxetine and venlafaxine

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy can help identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors that may be making feel worse.

Filed Under: Psychology

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