Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Home

Header Top Menu

  • Careers
  • Investors
  • News
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
    • Podcasts
      • The Antigen Podcast
      • Get Science Podcast
      • Diverse Perspectives Podcast
      • menopause: unmuted
      • Hemcast
    • Contact Media Relations
    • Press Kits & Downloads
      • Company Press Kit
      • Pfizer Oncology Press Kit
      • PSA Narrative
      • RA NarRAtive
      • Rare Disease Gene Therapy Press Kit
      • ATTR-Amyloidosis Press Kit
      • UC Narrative
      • Eczema Inside Out Press Kit
  • Partners
    • Discovery to Pre-candidate
      • Focus Areas
        • Therapeutic Areas
          • Internal Medicine
          • Inflammation and Immunology
          • Oncology
          • Rare Disease
          • Vaccines
        • Therapeutic Modalities and Technology Platforms
          • Drug Safety
          • Gene Therapy
          • Target Sciences
          • Precision Medicine
          • Medicinal Sciences
            • Biologics Product & Process Development
            • Biotherapeutics Discovery
            • Medicine Design
            • Small Molecule Product & Process Development
        • Emerging Science
          • DNA Damage Response
          • Microsatellite Repeat Expansions
          • Senescence
      • Partnering Models
    • Candidate Through Commercialization
      • Focus Areas
        • Internal Medicine
        • Inflammation and Immunology
        • Oncology
        • Rare Disease
        • Vaccines
        • Hospital
    • Pfizer CentreOne
    • Pfizer Ventures
      • Our portfolio

Healthcare Professionals

  • Healthcare Professionals

Connect with Us

  • Connect with Us
    • Email
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy (NEW)
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
  • Your Health

    • Healthy Living
      • Brain & Nervous System
      • Cardiovascular Health
      • Cold & Flu
      • Digestive Health
      • Healthier Aging
      • Living Tobacco Free
      • Men’s Health
      • Mental Health
      • Nutrition & Fitness
      • Pediatric Health
      • Respiratory Health
      • Skin Health
      • Vaccines & Prevention
      • Women’s Health

    • Disease & Condition
      • Cancer
      • Cardiovascular Diseases & Conditions
      • Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
      • Immune System Diseases & Conditions
      • Infections & Infectious Diseases
      • Neurological Diseases & Conditions
      • Menopause
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccine-Related Conditions
      • Skin Diseases & Conditions
      • Atopic Dermatitis

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

    • Managing your health
      • Caregiving
      • Evaluating Health Information
      • Tracking Your Health
      • Your Medicines
      • Health Literacy

    • Wellness
    Hot Topics

    Maintaining Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19

    Emotional Well-Being Tips for People Living with Chronic Inflammatory Conditions During COVID-19
  • Our Science

    • Driven to Discover the cure

    • Focus Areas
      • Internal Medicine
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Anti Infectives

    • Product Pipeline

    • Clinical Trials
      • Guide to Clinical Trials
      • Find a Trial
      • Expanded Access & Compassionate Use
      • Clinical Trials in Children
      • Partnering with Pfizer
      • Trial Data & Results
      • Research Integrity & Transparency
      • Diversity in Clinical Trials

    • R&D Platforms
      • Biosimilars
      • Gene Therapy
      • Medicinal Sciences
      • Precision Medicine
      • Maternal Immunization

    • Collaboration
      • Partner with Pfizer

    • Research sites

    • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Scientific Resources
    HOT TOPICS

    MRNA VS. CONVENTIONAL VACCINES

    What Makes an RNA Vaccine Different From a Conventional Vaccine?
  • Our People

    • Meet The Experts
      • Scientists
      • Internal Medicine – Metabolic Disease
      • Inflammation & Immunology
      • Oncology
      • Rare Disease
      • Vaccines
      • Medical Professionals

    • The Journey

    • Leadership
      • Executives
      • Board Members
      • Company Fact Sheet

    • Diverse Perspectives
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Supplier Diversity
    HOT TOPICS

    Meet our new Chief Patient Officer, Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron

    dr_richardson_300x170.jpg

    Working Together to Empower Women

    VizagWomen_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Purpose

    • Commitment to Global Health
      • Expanding Access
      • Strengthening Health Systems
      • Providing Disaster & Humanitarian Relief
      • Unleashing the Power of Our Colleagues
      • Highlighting Individual Voices

    • Protecting People and the Environment
      • Pfizer's Green Journey
      • Product Stewardship
      • EHS Governance
      • EHS Supply Chain
      • Key Performance Indicators
      • Health & Safety
      • Human Rights

    • Positions on Health Policies
      • Ready for Cures
      • How does Pfizer price medicines?
      • Value of Medicines
      • Policy Positions
      • Creating Cures Through Facility Investments

    • Transparency
      • Working with Health Care Professionals
      • Transparency in Grants
      • Code of Conduct
      • Corporate Compliance
      • Sales and Marketing Compliance

    • Independent Grants
      • Competitive Grants Program
      • Independent Medical Education
      • Investigator Sponsored Research
      • Quality Improvement
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Grants

    • Contributions & Partnerships
      • Healthcare Charitable Contributions
      • Lobbying & Political Contributions
    HOT TOPICS

    Pfizer Women’s Resource Group

    Media Name: IWD_Pull_up_Banner_300x170.jpg

    • Hot Topics
  • Our Products

    • Product listing

    • How drugs are made
      • Branded vs. Generic
      • Biologics & Biosimilars
      • Commitment to Quality

    • Distributors
      • Pfizer Distributors
      • Greenstone Distributors

    • Medicine Safety
      • Reporting Adverse Events
      • Making Good Treatment Choices
      • Partnering With Patients
      • Health Literacy
      • Medicine Safety Tips for Patients
      • Counterfeiting
      • Unused Medicines

    • Safety Data Sheets

    • Medical Information Contacts

    • Pfizer Global Supply
    HOT TOPICS

    Universal vs. Single Payer Healthcare

    Media Name: universal_healthcare300x170.jpg
  • Careers

    • Working Here
      • Mission & Purpose
      • Culture
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Career Growth & Colleague Development
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Ensuring Corporate Responsibility
    • Search Jobs
    • Student & Early Career
      • Postdoctoral Program
      • US Summer Student Worker Program
      • Opportunities for Veterans
    • Pfizer365.com
    • Our Hiring & Recruiting Process
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Tips for Interviewing at Pfizer
    • Connect With Us
  • Investors

    • Investors Overview
      • Why Invest / Our Story
      • Prospective Investors
      • Fact Sheet
    • Events & Presentations
    • Financials
      • Quarterly Reports
      • Annual Reports
      • SEC Filings
      • Interactive Data Filings
    • Investor News
    • Stock Information
      • Historical Price Lookup
      • Investment Calculator
      • Historical Stock Chart & Data
      • Dividend & Split History
      • Stock FAQs
    • Governance
      • Board Committees and Charters
      • The Pfizer Board Policies
      • Corporate Governance FAQs
      • Contact Our Directors
    • Shareholder Services
      • Stock FAQs
      • Advisory Information
      • Cost Basis Calculator
  • News

    • Contact Media Relations
    • Podcasts
    • Press Kits & Downloads
    • Press Release Archive
    • Press Statements
  • Partners
  • Footer links

    • Footer Aside Section1
      • CAREER-SEEKERS
      • INVESTORS
      • News & Media
      • Partners
    • Footer Aside Section 2
      • Healthcare Professionals
      • Business To Business
      • Change Region
      • Sitemap
    • Footer Aside Section3
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Linkedin
      • Instagram
      • Youtube
    • Footer Aside Section4
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy

Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder

Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder
YOUR HEALTH/ Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder
October 30, 2020

The winter blues are one thing, but seasonal affective disorder is quite another. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression, sometimes referred to as SAD, seasonal depression, or winter depression.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) is a type of depression that can make patients feel less energetic, moody, and distressed for parts of the year.

Seasonal affective disorder begins and ends around the same time every year, typically inclusive of the fall and winter months. January and February are often when patients in the U.S. experience the most difficulty with symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. In less frequent cases, it can also occur in the spring or early summer. In most cases, it lasts about 40% of the year.

Who gets it and how?

While the exact cause of seasonal affective disorder is unknown, there are several theories about the cause. Most theories attribute SAD to reduced levels of sunlight in the fall and winter months. The shorter days and reduced sunlight exposure are thought to affect the body by:

  • Disrupting a person’s circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle),
  • Triggering lower levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood,
  • Producing higher levels of melatonin, a sleep-related hormone.

Risk factors for developing seasonal affective disorder include:

  • Being female. SAD is diagnosed more frequently in women compared to men.
  • Younger age. Younger adults have a higher risk of SAD than older adults.
  • Family history of seasonal affective disorder or other forms of depression.
  • Having major depression or bipolar disorder.
  • Living far from the equator. It is thought that the further a patient lives from the equator, the more common seasonal affective disorder may be. Residents of cloudy regions can also experience seasonal affective disorders, as well as those who relocate from living closer to the equator to further away from it.

Estimates suggest that about half a million people in the U.S. have seasonal affective disorder, though an additional 10% to 20% may have a milder form of the winter blues.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder appear during late fall or early winter and fade away during the spring and summer for most cases. This disorder is not considered a separate disorder from depression, rather it is a type of depression that occurs in a seasonal pattern.

Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Feeling depressed most of the day or nearly every day
  • Losing interest in activities you previously enjoyed
  • Having low energy
  • Problems sleeping
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
  • Changes in appetite or weight
  • Feeling sluggish, agitated, hopeless, worthless, or guilty

Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD may include:

  • Tiredness or over-energy
  • Oversleeping
  • Appetite changes, specifically craving carbs
  • Weight gain

Symptoms specific to summer-onset SAD may include:

  • Trouble sleeping or insomnia
  • Poor appetite/weight loss
  • Agitation
  • Anxiety

If a person thinks they have seasonal affective disorder, it is best to see a doctor for examination.

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis for seasonal affective disorder should be made by a healthcare professional. A professional will be able to assess if the presenting symptoms are due to seasonal affective disorder, another type of mood disorder, or something else.

To meet the diagnostic criteria for SAD, a person must meet the full criteria for major depression and the symptoms should coincide with specific seasons – either winter or summer months – for at least 2 years.

While there is no specific test to diagnose SAD, a professional will likely ask a patient about the history of their symptoms. There may also be a physical exam or blood test.

How do you treat SAD?

There are multiple methods to manage seasonal affective disorder. Treatment options may include antidepressant medicines, talk therapy (such as cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal therapy) and phototherapy (light therapy, involves sitting in front of a light therapy box that emits a very bright light).

There are also a few healthy habits a person may do on their own to combat the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. These include:

  • Exercise. Studies show that regular exercise can help boost mood and improve sleep.
  • Get as much natural sunlight as possible. Consider doing outdoor chores, sitting near a window and being active early in the daytime to help feel more energetic and less depressed.
  • Talk to someone. Confiding in others about symptoms, or getting help from a professional, may be other helpful steps for patients with seasonal affective disorder.
  • Eat healthy foods. Eating healthy and well-balanced meals can help keep energy levels up. Stay away from alcohol and drugs, as those substances can make depression worse.

References

1. Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., Ranna. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Jan. 2017, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/seasonal-affective-diso….

2. “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 Oct. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symp….

3. “Seasonal Depression (SAD): Symptoms & Treatments.” Cleveland Clinic, 12 Dec. 2016, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression.

4. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Seasonal Affective Disorder | Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affecti….

5. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Mount Sinai Health System, www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affectiv….

6. “Seasonal Affective Disorder: More than the Winter Blues.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 15 Dec. 2014, www.apa.org/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder.

7. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Seasonal Affective Disorder | MentalHealth.gov, 22 Aug. 2017, www.mentalhealth.gov/what-to-look-for/mood-disorders/sad.

8. Romito, Kathleen. “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).” Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) | Michigan Medicine, 28 May 2019, www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw169553.

9. NIMH. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mar. 2016, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder/index.shtml.

10. National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases. “Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 July 2020, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anx….

Related Hot Topics
Why Your Family Health History Matters
Why Your Family Health History Matters
Why You Need Your Workout Now More Than Ever
Why You Need Your Workout Now More Than Ever
Chronic Stress and How to Manage It
Chronic Stress and How to Manage It
Understanding the Differences and Similarities Between the Flu and COVID-19
Understanding the Differences and Similarities Between the Flu and COVID-19
What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?
Pfizer_JonxPillemer_Kenya_2016-1355_380X200.jpg
The Pfizer Foundation Invests in Community-Based Solutions to Combat the Threat…
Moving at the Speed of Science
Moving at the Speed of Science
7 Myths About the Flu Vaccine
7 Myths About the Flu Vaccine
Tags
Health Info
Healthcare
Mental Health
Show
Hide

Footer menu

  • Your Health
    • Healthy Living
    • Disease Conditions
    • Manage Your Health
  • Our Science
    • Therapeutic Areas
    • Product Pipeline
    • Clinical Trials
    • R&D Platforms
    • Collaboration
    • Research SItes
  • Our People
    • Meet the Experts
    • The Journey
    • Leadership
    • Diverse Perspectives
  • Our Purpose
    • Commitment To Global Health
    • Positions on Health Policies
    • Transparency
    • Contributions & Partnerships
  • Our Products
    • Product Listing
    • How Drugs are Made
    • Distributors
    • Global Product Information Contacts

Footer aside

  • Footer Aside Section1
    • CAREER-SEEKERS
    • INVESTORS
    • News & Media
    • Partners
  • Footer Aside Section 2
    • Healthcare Professionals
    • Business To Business
    • Change Region
    • Sitemap
  • Footer Aside Section3
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
  • Footer Aside Section4
    • Contact Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
Pfizer Logo Footer

Copyright © 2002-2021 Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. This information—including product information—is intended only for residents of the United States.
The products discussed herein may have different labeling in different countries.