Change of Season and Depression: Seasonal Affective Disorder

in which healthy people, or in full mental health, during most of the year present depressive symptoms that systematically recur in the same period and more commonly in winter.

The most common symptoms are: drowsiness and excessive need for sleep, exhaustion and asthenia, excessive appetite with particular reference to the need for carbohydrates. In the summer period it can manifest itself with accentuated anxiety.

In the IV and VI editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV and DSM-V) it is no longer classified as a "single" mood disorder, but as a "seasonal model" of the major depressive disorder that occurs. at a specific time, and totally disappears in the rest of the year.

Although experts were initially skeptical, this condition is now recognized as a common ailment. In the United States, SAD affects only 1.4% of the population in Florida and rises to 8.9% in Alaska, which should significantly correlate it with the environment and climate.

in the diet - in Iceland, 90 kg per person per year - rich in vitamin D (calciferol) and in biologically active omega 3 such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA). A similar anomaly is observed in Japan - where the annual fish consumption in recent years has averaged about 60 kg per capita.

In Alaska it has been established that there is a SAD rate of 8.9% and 24.9% for the subsindromal (SSAD) - see below.

Women are more prone to SAD than men and older people than young people. The category most at risk is certainly that of those who suffer from alterations - neurological or psychological - in the tone of mood, the sleep-wake cycle and more.

Therefore, the change of season is a critical moment especially for those who already suffer from depressive and anxious or related symptoms, since the various changes to which the body is subjected exacerbate the pre-existing disorders, acting as "stressors" or amplifiers of other stressful agents. Nonetheless, people who have a particularly neglected, messy, stressful and irregular lifestyle may be more affected.

Clinics and symptoms of SAD: how does Seasonal Affective Disorder manifest itself?

The symptom picture of seasonal affective disorder is quite varied, but it presents with excessive sleepiness, exhaustion and a higher than normal need for food (especially carbohydrates). Many complain of confusion, anxiety and attention deficit.

On the other hand, since it is a type of major depressive disorder, the sufferer may manifest one of the other associated symptoms, such as feelings of worthlessness, despair, suicidal thoughts, loss of interest in activities and asthenia, decreased social interactions, difficulty in concentration, difficulty making decisions, decreased libido, agitation etc.

Winter symptoms of seasonal affective disorder most commonly include: excessive sleep or difficulty waking up in the morning, nausea, and a tendency to overeat - often with a greater craving for carbohydrates - which easily leads to weight gain.

Spring lethargy or other seasonal mood patterns are not uncommon. Although each individual case may seem very different, unlike winter SAD, people with spring and summer depression are more likely to develop symptoms such as insomnia. decreased appetite and weight loss, agitation or anxiety.