scholarly journals Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherri Melrose
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Typical Treatment ◽  
Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a recurrent major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern usually beginning in fall and continuing into winter months. A subsyndromal type of SAD, or S-SAD, is commonly known as “winter blues.” Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer. Symptoms center on sad mood and low energy. Those most at risk are female, are younger, live far from the equator, and have family histories of depression, bipolar disorder, or SAD. Screening instruments include the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). Typical treatment includes antidepressant medications, light therapy, Vitamin D, and counselling. This paper provides an overview of SAD.

A Follow-up Study of Seasonal Affective Disorder

1995 ◽  
Vol 167 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Thompson ◽  
Sunil K. Raheja ◽  
Elizabeth A. King
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Course Of Illness ◽  
Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Subsyndromal Symptoms

BackgroundThe long-term course of seasonal affective disorder has not been well studied.MethodUsing the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–III–R, we interviewed 75% of a sample of 124 subjects diagnosed from five to eight years previously as fulfilling DSM–III–R criteria for recurrent major affective disorder, seasonal pattern.ResultsIn the follow-up period, 38% of the sample continued to fulfil DSM–III–R criteria for seasonal illness; 28% had recurrent major depressive disorder, but no longer displayed a seasonal pattern; 18% were completely well with no further depression; 6% had subsyndromal symptoms; and 5%, although not meeting DSM–III–R criteria for seasonal illness, were still displaying constant periodicity. A short duration of index episode and a high frequency of illness predicted a continuing seasonal course of illness.ConclusionDiagnostic criteria for seasonal affective disorder need to be further refined, possibly restrictively, if they are to be used to predict the future course of seasonal illness.

Pharmacotherapy of Seasonal Affective Disorder

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 664-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edda Pjrek ◽  
Dietmar Winkler ◽  
Siegfried Kasper
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Conventional Drug ◽  
Seasonal Depression ◽  
Disorder Treatment ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder

AbstractSeasonal affective disorder is a common variant of recurrent major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Treatment with bright artificial light has been found to be effective in this condition. However, for patients who do not respond to light therapy or those who lack compliance, conventional drug treatment with antidepressants also has been proposed. Substances with selective serotonergic or noradrenergic mechanisms should be preferred over older antidepressants. Although there are a number of open and controlled studies evaluating different compounds, these studies were often limited by relatively small sample sizes. Furthermore, there are no studies specifically addressing bipolar seasonal depression. This article will review the published literature on pharmacotherapy of seasonal affective disorder.

scholarly journals Seasonal affective disorder among general practice attenders

2002 ◽  
Vol 180 (5) ◽  
pp. 394-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Kendrick
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
American Psychiatric Association ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

In this issue, Eagles et al report that people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are heavy users of primary health care services (Eagles et al, 2002, this issue). Nearly 10% of patients attending practices in Aberdeen screened positive for SAD using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ; Rosenthal et al, 1987), among whom around half of those attending for interview fulfilled DSM–IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria for recurrent major depression with seasonal pattern. The patients with SAD had consulted significantly more frequently over a 5-year period, with a variety of symptoms both related and unrelated to SAD, and had received significantly more prescriptions, investigations and referrals than patients found not to fulfil the criteria for SAD.

Hypericum in the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorders

1994 ◽  
Vol 7 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Martinez ◽  
S. Kasper ◽  
S. Ruhrmann ◽  
H.-J. Möller
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Light Condition ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Hamilton Depression Scale ◽  
Full Remission ◽  
Significant Difference

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) represents a subgroup of major depression with a regular occurrence of symptoms in autumn/winter and full remission in spring/summer. Light therapy (LT) has become the standard treatment of this type of depression. Apart from this, pharmacotherapy with antidepressants also seems to provide an improvement of SAD symptoms. The aim of this controlled, single-blind study was to evaluate if hypericum, a plant extract, could be beneficial in treating SAD patients and whether the combination with LT would be additionally advantageous. Patients who fulfilled DSM-III-R criteria for major depression with seasonal pattern were randomized in a 4-week treatment study with 900 mg of hypericum per day combined with either bright (3000 lux, n = 10) or dim (< 300 lux, n = 10) light condition. Light therapy was applied for 2 hours daily. We found a significant (MANOVA, P < .001) reduction of the Hamilton Depression Scale score in both groups but no significant difference between the two groups. Our data suggest that pharmacologic treatment with hypericum may be an efficient therapy in patients with seasonal affective disorder.

scholarly journals Validity and Usage of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) in a French Population of Patients with Depression, Bipolar Disorders and Controls

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1897
Author(s):  
Eve Reynaud ◽  
Fabrice Berna ◽  
Emmanuel Haffen ◽  
Luisa Weiner ◽  
Julia Maruani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Bipolar Disorders ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Food Factor ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire

The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), by Rosenthal et al. (1984), is by far the most used questionnaire to evaluate seasonal effects on mood and behavior. It includes a general seasonality score (GSS), composed of 6 items, from which cutoffs have been established to screen for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). However, it has never been validated in French and associations with circadian rhythm and symptoms of depression and bipolarity remain unclear. In this study, including 165 subjects (95 controls and 70 patients with depression or bipolar disorder), we confirmed the validity of the French version of the SPAQ, with a two-factor structure (a psychological factor: energy, mood, social activity and sleep length; and a food factor: weight and appetite) and a good fit was observed by all indicators. Mood and social activity dimensions were significantly affected by seasons in the depressed/bipolar group and a stronger global seasonality score (GSS) was associated with more severe phenotypes of depression and mania. Subjects meeting SAD and subsyndromal-SAD criteria also showed a delayed circadian rhythm compared to controls. Simple tools, such as the SPAQ, can aid the identification of significant seasonal changes and have direct implications on therapeutics including the use of bright light therapy in order to enhance personalized treatments, but also to prevent adverse seasonal effects.

scholarly journals High prevalence of seasonal affective disorder among persons with severe visual impairment

2016 ◽  
Vol 208 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helle ⊘stergaard Madsen ◽  
Henrik Dam ◽  
Ida Hageman
Keyword(s):  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Light Perception ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
Light Input

BackgroundLight severely affects the occurrence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).AimsTo compare the prevalence of SAD in persons with severe visual impairment and persons with full sight, and in persons with severe visual impairment with or without light perception.MethodThis cross-sectional study assessed the Global Seasonality Score (GSS) and the prevalence of SAD among 2781 persons with visual impairment and 4099 persons with full sight using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).ResultsRespondents with visual impairment had significantly higher GSS and prevalence of SAD compared with full sight controls, P<0.001. Light perception respondents were more vulnerable to seasonal change than both full sight and no light perception respondents.ConclusionsThe study showed a highly significant association between visual impairment and SPAQ-defined SAD parameters, supporting the hypothesis that decreased retinal light input plays a role in the pathogenesis of SAD.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and light therapy: State of the science

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S528-S528
Author(s):  
C. Glod
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
White Light ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Light Emitting Diode ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Light Therapy ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
State Of The Science

Major depression with a fall/winter seasonal pattern, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a recurrent and prevalent disorder. Treatment may include either pharmacological (antidepressant) or non-pharmacological options, most commonly light therapy. Over the years, light therapy has been explored using various delivery methods including light-emitting diode (LED) devices. For over 20 years, cool-white fluorescent sources that yield 10,000 lux of polychromatic white light have been the standard treatment for SAD. Many investigations have confirmed the clinical effectiveness of white light, its overall tolerability, and adverse reactions, such as agitation, insomnia, and headache. Building upon this, more recent studies have compared alternative light sources and different wavelengths of light, such as white, red, green, and blue. If certain wavelengths are more potent and effective, lower intensities of light could reduce side effects and increase tolerability and adherence. Furthermore, studies of the ocular system particularly, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, discovered differences among specific wavelengths of light. While some reports have suggested that 446–477 nm wavelengths of blue light may be the most potent, published clinical trials have revealed mixed results. The purpose of this session is to review the state of the science on light therapy in the treatment of SAD, and suggest recommendations for clinical practice and implications for patients.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Seasonal affective disorder and latitude of living

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greta Brancaleoni ◽  
Elena Nikitenkova ◽  
Luigi Grassi ◽  
Vidje Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Affective Disorder ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Conflicts Of Interests ◽  
Environmental Light ◽  
Sleeping Problems ◽  
The University ◽  
Assessment Questionnaire ◽  
North Norway

SUMMARYAim – Since the importance of latitude of living for the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is unclear, the study aims to test the latitude hypothesis by comparing SAD in two rather similar groups of students living at latitudes far apart. Methods – Two groups of students, 199 in Tromsø, Norway (690 N) and 188 in Ferrara, Italy (440 N) were asked to fill in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire. Results – Global Seasonality score (GS-score) was significantly higher in Italian than in Norwegian students, in females and in students with sleeping-problems. Norwegian students had significantly higher SAD prevalence in winter and in spring. Most people in both countries felt worst in October and November, and the prevalence of Autumn SAD was not significantly different between the two countries. Conclusions – The hypothesis that SAD is linked to amount of environmental light and latitude of living was not supported.Declaration of Interest: The study was fully financed by the University of Tromsø and the University Hospital North Norway, and there are no conflicts of interests.

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