Mar 21, 20235 min read

Seasonal Depression - Effects and Treatment

What is Seasonal Depression?

The lack of sunlight and outdoor activities winter provides to individuals often leads many of them to disappointment and feelings of hopelessness from reflecting on unfulfilled desires, goals, and expectations for themselves; however, these negative thoughts can be a result of something far more serious. Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD, is a category of depression acknowledged by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Seasonal depression affects 5% of adults in the U.S.

Note: seasonal depression can occur in the summer; although at a much rarer rate.

Seasonal Depression’s Effects

Seasonal Depression impacts those who have it by the overwhelming distress it can bring; which interferes with their everyday functions. Seasonal depression’s effects range from mild to severe; influencing the following:

Changes in Mood

Sometimes emotions can overwhelm us to the point where we are not our usual selves. Contrary to popular belief, seasonal depression is more than just “winter blues” and is just as serious as other types of depression. A research article studying the association of seasonal depression and changes in mood and behavior explains that “SAD shares with depression the nuclear symptoms of depression (depressed mood, lack of energy, loss of ability to feel pleasure or interest)”. A more severe symptom of changes in mood seasonal depression can cause are the development of thoughts of self-harm or even suicide.

Changes in Circadian Rhythm

Sleep is a necessary process of the human body for recharging the cells and organs within it; however, the body needs conditions to understand when it is time to fall asleep. A circadian rhythm is the internal clock of an organism's body; which determines what organs and cells should recharge during a specific time via sleep. Naturally, the body associates darkness and/or lack of sunlight with sleep time as an evolutionary trait. A study analyzing the relationship between seasonal depression and circadian rhythm has found that “Seasonal depression results from a circadian delay relative to the sleep/wake cycle during the winter.” Lack of sleep can also cause people to suffer from stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Changes in Cognitive Functions

Everyone has their days when they are not at their best. A study aimed to analyze the cognitive functions involving memories among individuals with seasonal depression revealed that “...the stress, fear, and other negative emotions resulting from seasonal depression had interfered with the sample’s cognitive circuits involved in attention, working memory, and executive functions” In other words, seasonal depression takes a toll on the brain’s ability to process information; which is necessary to perform everyday tasks for a person’s professional and social life.

Changes in Appetite

People often seek comfort when they feel vulnerable; and food is a common source for comfort. People with seasonal depression desire foods with carbohydrates because they provide a chemical release of happiness called dopamine. A clinical research study acknowledging the chronobiology and neurobiology of seasonal depression has reported that many patients with seasonal depression report stress-eating and a sudden crave for more foods with carbohydrates; thus suggesting that “...obesity in the context of SAD might reflect a seasonal ‘thrifty phenotype’”. This is partly why eating donuts and other sweets cheer some people up when they are feeling down.

Treatments

Experiencing any or all of these symptoms may seem hopeless; however, there are solutions. The following treatments have been proven to assist individuals with overcoming seasonal depression and its effects:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Emotions are not something that can be changed; however, they can be managed so that their impacts would not interfere with people’s lives. An article assessing the treatments for seasonal depression claims that cognitive behavioral therapy aims to “...actively change the way they address their stress-inducing problems they face to try to indirectly alleviate the symptoms of SAD.” Managing the emotions caused by seasonal depression with cognitive behavioral therapy would reduce the stress and anxiety accompanying them to the point that they would not interfere with the cognitive functions needed for everyday tasks.

Blue Light Therapy

The aforementioned circadian rhythm’s reliance on sunlight to determine the optimal time for sleep has made it vulnerable to the winter season’s decrease of sunlight; however there is a way to “create” more light. Blue light therapy is the usage of artificial light similar enough to sunlight; which can help restore a person’s circadian rhythm if they have trouble sleeping. A study on circadian rhythm and sleep had determined that blue light therapy helps patients with seasonal depression restore their circadian rhythm since the lighting would be acknowledged by the retinas of the human eyes; creating “a direct neural pathway from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is recognized as the central biological clock in the brain”. The user must be exposed to the light while sitting in front of or near the bright light unit.

Note: Users should avoid looking directly at the light source due to the intensities of light it produces

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

The human body is much more aware of its circumstances than what many people think. This is why it craves foods with carbohydrates for people with seasonal depression. Although this can help treat seasonal depression, leaving the tendency to eat unsupervised may lead to obesity. A study analyzing the associations between diet and seasonal depression revealed that amongst the many tests of diet and its effects on seasonal depression, the five studies that had the most positive impact on treating seasonal depression “... included some form of calorie or carbohydrate restriction.” So it’s still okay to eat sweets in moderation. Foods that contain vitamin D are also helpful since vitamin D is the same vitamin sunlight produces.

References

Do, Li, V. W., Huang, S., Michalak, E. E., Tam, E. M., Chakrabarty, T., Yatham, L. N., & Lam, R. W. (2022). Blue-Light Therapy for Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry : Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie., 67(10), 745–754. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437221097903

Fonte, A., Coutinho, B. Seasonal Sensitivity and Psychiatric Morbidity: Study About Seasonal Affective Disorder. BMC Psychiatry 21, 317 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03313-z

Jurgaitytė, V., Dijokas, J., Rimkevičiūtė, P., & Khawaja, N. (2020). Risk Factors and Treatment Approaches to Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Review. Neurologijos Seminarai, 24(1), 26–34. https://doi-org.csulb.idm.oclc.org/10.29014/ns.2020.03

Iorio, C., Pacitti, F., Rossi, A., Iorio, P., & Pompili, A. (2022). Declarative Memory Impairment and Emotional Bias in Recurrent Depression with a Seasonal Pattern: The Interplay between Emotion and Cognition in Seasonal Affective Disorder. Brain Sciences (2076-3425), 12(10), 1352–N.PAG. https://doi-org.csulb.idm.oclc.org/10.3390/brainsci12101352

Levitan, Robert. (2022). The Chronobiology and Neurobiology of Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder. Taylor and Francis Online. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.31887/DCNS.2007.9.3/rlevitan?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab

Swainson, J., Reeson, M., Malik, U., Stefanuk, I., Cummins, M., & Sivapalan, S. (2023). Diet and depression: A systematic review of whole dietary interventions as treatment in patients with depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 327, 270–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.094

Wescott, D. L., Wallace, M. L., Hasler, B. P., Klevens, A. M., Franzen, P. L., Hall, M. H., & Roecklein, K. A. (2022). Sleep and circadian rhythm profiles in seasonal depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 156, 114–121. https://doi-org.csulb.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.019