HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Could Seasonal Affective Disorder feel worse this year? This year has already put a huge strain on our mental health – and now shorter days have entered the mix. Prudence Wade talks to some experts...
Everything can start to feel a bit harder than normal around this time of year. The colder weather and shorter days can greatly impact your mood – particularly if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is “a type of depression that is affected by seasonal changes”, explains Dr Daniel Cichi of Doctor4U (doctor-4u.co.uk). “Depression can last throughout the year, but if your symptoms only appear during a particular season, you may be experiencing SAD.” According to Dr Mark Winwood, clinical lead for mental health services at AXA Health (axahealth.co.uk), the condition “can impact people’s mental health in different ways, depending on its severity”. He says common symptoms “include a persistent low mood and energy levels, lack of enjoyment in everyday activities, poor concentration, irritability and intense feelings of sadness that can extend to feelings of guilt and worthlessness”. On the more severe end of the spectrum, “symptoms can often include losing interest in seeing others and physical contact”, he adds. Cichi also details how people experiencing SAD might sleep “for longer than you usually would, you’re becoming less active and less social, you may even have an increased appetite and gain weight”. Exactly why some people get SAD isn’t fully understood but it’s believed a number of factors might play a part, with some people being more susceptible to the effects of seasonal changes. “The
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lack of natural daylight during the winter months, the dull days and early dark nights disrupt our circadian rhythm (body clock), increase melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy, and reduces the feel-good hormone serotonin,” says Cichi. “All of this leads to feelings of depression.” For people with SAD, things could feel even harder than usual this year, due to all the additional stress and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. From a practical point of view, Cichi says: “With more people working from home and people having to isolate or shield indoors for long periods of time, this means less exposure to natural daylight. Many people are already feeling low due to the pandemic, which can coincide with seasonal depression and make those symptoms feel worse than in previous years.” Winwood agrees that “many are certainly finding life more challenging in the coronavirus pandemic. As we move in smaller circles and cancel those winter outings we’d usually look forward to, it’s inevitable there’ll be a heightened risk of mental health problems occurring, including symptoms of depression.” Whether you suffer from full-blown SAD or are feeling more down than usual this time of year, there are things you can do to help boost your mood… GET DAYLIGHT WHEN YOU CAN Particularly if you’re working from home and not commuting, you might find yourself missing out on the hours of daylight entirely – and this could be impacting your mood. Cichi says try to “get as
