Mission Health: How to Cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Mission Health -- Mission Health Blog Dec 11, 2020: While the cooler temperatures and shorter days of fall and winter mean

relief from summer heat and sun, they can, for some people, bring changes in mood. These changes may take the form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs during particular seasons, then improves as the next season begins.

In most cases, SAD is more pronounced during these colder months, said Christina Leal-McKinley, MD, of Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Covington, Louisiana. Nearly half a million Americans experience symptoms of winter-related SAD each year and 10 to 20 percent of Americans have less severe symptoms, known as the winter blues.

While the exact cause of SAD is unknown, some people — including those who live in northern latitudes, those with a family history of SAD and those with depression or bipolar disorder — are at greater risk for SAD than others. Women are also more likely to have SAD than men.

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