Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), generally attributed to wintertime, can also affect people during the summertime.
During the winter, people generally experience less sunlight, which can disrupt the circadian rhythm or body clock of some people and even lead to lower serotonin levels - the neurotransmitter is associated with happiness and wellbeing. However, similar symptoms can be experienced by some people, even in the summer.
Winter SAD's Underdiagnosed and Rarer Sibling
Winter SAD is often characterized by sluggishness and increased tendencies toward sleeping, with others experiencing increased appetite resulting in weight gain. However, it can be treated through the use of palliative light therapy. At least 30 minutes of exposure to lamps that somehow imitate natural sunlight every day can help suppress Winter SAD.
However, the same can not be said for Summer SAD, which National Geographic calls Winter SAD's "underdiagnosed, rarer, and harder-to-treat sibling." People who experience the rare condition often feel more irritable, agitated. In contrast to its winter counterpart, people with Summer SAD have difficulty sleeping and often lose appetite leading to weight loss. In fact, these people have higher tendencies toward suicide compared to those who experience the seasonal affective disorder in the winter.
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As Winter SAD is triggered by the general lack of sunlight, cold environment, and steady darkness, its summer counterpart is more volatile in terms of contributing factors - from increased sunshine hours to a mixture of heat and humidity, to the presence of pollen from flowers. The fluctuation between these factors during summertime makes treatment and therapy for Summer SAD more difficult.
To adapt to the burdening condition, other people prefer to stay indoors as much as possible. However, this defense mechanism is challenged by social pressure from peers to enjoy the summertime, such as going outdoors.
Limited Studies, Limited Response
NatGeo notes that Summer SAD has been recognized for almost four decades now, yet a large part of the condition is not yet clear. Additionally, the studies were mostly conducted in the 1990s or the early 2000s, with no significant updates since.
A study published in the journal Psychiatry Research back in February 1990 illustrated the difference in the occurrences of Winter SAD compared with Summer SAD. In Nashua, New Hampshire, 9.7 percent reported experiencing Winter SAD while only 0.5 percent of the population reported symptoms for Summer SAD.
However, a 2014 study inquired on the direct effect of sunshine on suicide. The study, led by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, analyzed officially confirmed suicides in Austria in 40 years from January 1, 1970, to May 6, 2010. They followed the first appearance of the sun after days or weeks of cloudy weather.
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Researchers of the study observed that suicide rates considerably rose during around the first ten days of sunshine, gradually decreasing as sunny days continue. The Austrian researchers behind the 40-year study suggest that this spike in suicide rates is due to people with major depression. These people become severely agitated and impulsive during their first exposure to sunlight after prolonged periods of cloudy days, leading to increased tendencies toward suicide.
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