Factors Affecting Seasonal Affective Disorder

Have you ever wondered if the feelings of sadness or irritability you seem to not be able to overcome are more than just a typical bad mood? It is normal to feel sadness or drowsiness when reacting to life’s struggles or setbacks, but it may be more than just a bad mood. Feelings come and go, therefore if a person is experiencing sadness for a long period of time they might have some type of mood disorder. A mood disorder can be defined as a psychological disorder characterized by the elevation or lowering of a person's mood. Mood disorders do more than just make people feel sad occasionally; it affects people’s every day life. Throughout this paper the reader will understand the different types of mood disorders, causes, different treatments,

I have diagnosed myself with seasonal depression, which I can assure you is a very real disease. The technical name for this disorder is Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, which is defined as a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Causes may be genetic, as I am sure that my dad also has seasonal depression. So many winters of my life have been spent shivering while walking around school, playing in the snow until I thought my hands would fall off, and fearing going back outside to feel the gust of cold wind take over my body. The condition gets worse during daylight savings when the sun sets at 5pm, and the cold night takes over. Thus, when applying to colleges, the coldest school I applied to was in Washington D.C. I refused to

People who are not depressed or have never come to contact with clinical depression, are more often than not inclined to judge someone who is clinically depressed and call them dramatic, self-indulgent, or even worse tell them that they are just “under the weather.” Diagnosed clinical depression is not something that one can just shrug off, in fact it’s a disease that will cause the mental health state of an individual to decrease. Though depression isn’t something one can physically see like the flu, depression causes the patient to feel the effects as if it were a physical disorder. These symptoms include but are not limited to, fatigue, muscle aches headaches, etc. Though sadness can also cause an individual to feel these symptoms, sadness is temporary. Whereas depression, lingers and tends to become part of the patient’s everyday life, like a best friend. Though everyone at some point in their lives will experience sadness, the underlying question of why some people experience sadness that leads into full on depression remains. The article titled “Sadness, Depression, and Avoidance Behavior” by Allan M. Leventhal, primarily discusses an explanation to why some individuals are more prone to depression and subsequently will become clinically depressed, and why others are not. Furthermore, the article offers a clear separation between sadness and depression.

Major depression is a commonly diagnosed psychological disorder affecting individuals’ ability to feel happiness and peace of mind. Those who suffer experience negative emotions, lack of motivation, changes in behaviour and dysfunctional cognitive symptoms. Depression is classified by the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as five of more of the listed symptoms present persistently over the same two weeks. One of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. Depression causes disruption to typical daily life such as inability to maintain friendships and jobs. Other symptoms outlined by the DSM-5 include; insomnia, fatigue and recurrent thoughts of death. There is much debate over what exactly causes depression. Biological explanations question hereditary and neurotransmitter factors. While psychological theories include the cognitive ideas of Beck’s negative triad and hopelessness theory. This essay will focus on the ways in which psychological and biological explanations contrast and how their theories can overlap to better understand depression.

Thesis Statement: Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects our mental ability. So, it’s important to understand the causes and effects of this serious mental illness.

The pathophysiology of depression is multifaceted and difficult to pinpoint. Depression can arise from a multitude of precipitating factors, both external and internal to the patient. There are varying theories about the cause of depression, each of which “are based on studies investigating psychosocial stress and stress hormones, neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neurocircuitry, neurotrophic factors, and circadian rhythms” (Hasler, 2010). Due to the vast immensity of theories available, Woo, & Robinson (2016) recommends that treatment for depression should be tailored to each patient and their disease state individually. In Mary Smith’s case her depression appears

There really have only been studies conducted on people with possible SAD since 1984 when a man named Norman E. Rosenthal actually defined the psychological disorder (Lam). Since Rosenthal defined SAD as a syndrome characterized by recurrent depressions that occur annually at the same time each year characterized by hypersomnia, overeating, and carbohydrate craving (Newsome), there have been several studies conducted and published on people with possible SAD. Many of the studies that have been published for the general public focus mainly on the different forms of treatment for SAD, such as light therapy and different forms of Phototherapy, rather than focusing on the cause. Discovering the main causes of SAD would help to clearly identify who is actually in need of treatment related to light therapy compared to anti depressants. In my situation I had symptoms that were both characteristic of what identified SAD patients and patients suffering from mild forms of depression. When symptoms of one disorder are so closely related to symptoms of

episodes of fall/winter depression alternating with periods of spring/summer euthymia (norma l mood) or hypomania (mild elation and behavioral activation)” (2). There has been much research done to support the SAD and to find effective treatments for the annual malady such as bright light therapy. SAD generally occurs in the winter months, beginning around November and ending around March. People with symptoms of SAD differ from regular depressives in that winter depressive; have fewer suicidal tendencies, a less negative mood, fewer signs of dependency and less self-criticism. Symptoms of SAD include overeating, weight gam,

There are forms of depression that are a little different and occur during different changes in a lifetime. Postpartum depression happens to some women after giving birth, because of the changes that occur to hormonal levels after giving birth and the stress of caring for a newborn. According to the Mayo Clinic it is considered normal for some women to feel angry, irritable and maybe on the verge of tears those feeling last a week or two. Postpartum last for a much longer time and can cause the women to not be able to care for their baby, thoughts of harming baby, and also harming herself. It happens to 10 to 25 percent of women. Seasonal affective disorder is when depression comes on because of the changes in the season it usually affect patients in the autumn and winter seasons. There are some different types of depression that runs in families, but just because a family doesn’t have a history of depression, doesn’t mean patient will not have the

Mental health and optimal functioning are, of course, very important in any discussion of public health. Depression and more specifically Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can happen to anyone, and it is important to be treated when experiencing health problems like these. While I have never experienced seasonal depression, its temporal nature and the treatment of the disorder interest me. I researched SAD when I considered studying it as a topic for my undergraduate senior thesis. During the thesis preparation process, I looked at articles about SAD and its common used treatment of light therapy. I recently revisited one of those articles (Rossman, 2010), and the article piqued my interest in writing about how light therapy

Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D) is a disorder in which people become depressed with the changing of seasons. The more northern you live the more prone you are to experience S.A.D, in comparison to someone living closer to the equator. S.A.D can affect people of all ages but mainly affects adults and more specifically it is more opt to affect women over men. The risks of having Seasonal Affective Disorder start declining after the age of 50. Seasonal Affective Disorder can be an inheritable disorder (meaning you can get it if another person in your family has/had S.A.D. in their lifetime,or previous ancestors.) Researchers have peaked interest in the gene 5-HTTLPR for expressing S.A.D conditions. Approximately 6% of people suffer from S.A.D

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. SAD begins and ends about the same time every year. SAD is a subtype of recurrent depression that involves a major depressive episode onset in the fall and/or winter months with full remission in spring. SAD prevalence rate increases with latitude ranging from 1.4% in Florida to 9.9% in Alaska in the U.S. 5% of the U.S. population that is 14.5 million American is affected. Surveys show that SAD affects women more than twice as men. This points out that female sex hormones may play a role in sensitizing the brain to changes in environment. SAD patients spend more than 40% of the year with substantial depressive symptoms affecting friends, families, and workplace during most years, beginning young adulthood. Provided its high prevalence, recurrent clinical course, episode duration, and associated impairment, SAD is a significant mental health problem and an important challenge to public (Rosenthal, 2014).

Depression affects a lot of people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 9% of American suffer from depression (Iliades). One type in particular, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD seem to roll around when the weather becomes colder, days seem shorter, and nights seem longer. According to Familydoctor.org, “Seasonal Affective Disorder affects between 4% - 6% of American while 10% to 20% experience a milder form of winter-onset SAD”. “Three out of four SAD sufferers are women. The main age of onset of SAD is between 18 and 30 years of age” ("Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)"). We have heard the term “winter blues” and people talk about being sad or depressed during the winter months. They often feel withdrawn

Unipolar disorder that are reported on results from research from listed published articles. The articles give information and research to various factors pertaining to unipolar depression. Farb et al. (2015) discusses the two-factor model and model of sensitization in depression vulnerability while providing information on the high prevalence and significant risk of chronicity, relapse, and recurrence. Examination of gender differences in a less recent article (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1987) in relation to a more recent study comparing cognitive deficits for various factors including gender (Hasselbalch et al., 2012).

People of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life have felt depressed and unhappy at some time in their lives. These periods of sadness usually pass after a short time, but for some people, this feeling can remain for weeks, months, and even years. (1) This prolonged state of unhappiness is called major (or clinical) depression and is characterized by a persistent sad or "empty" mood, loss of interest in favorite activities, difficulty concentrating, and many other symptoms. It is not simply a mental state but an illness that interferes with the way people feel, function, and think.(2)