by Celine Ruscher

Daylight is increasing as we move from winter to spring. This additional amount of light is a source of well-being for many of us, leaving us with the overall feeling of being less exhausted.  

For some people, seasonal changes are associated with fluctuations in energy levels and even with depressive episodes. This is what we call seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is generally observed during fall and winter, but for some people it can occur in spring or summer. The symptoms are very similar to those of depression, with possible differences in symptoms between the fall onset and the summer onset.   

Different strategies can be put in place to help with SAD. Amongst them, light therapy has shown to be a good support for people struggling with SAD. As seasonal changes alter our daily first contact with daylight, regular morning sessions of light therapy (10,000 Lux recommended) have been shown to significantly help.  

The underlying reason is that daylight synchronizes our circadian rhythm, also known as our body’s internal clocks, located in the hypothalamus. Circadian rhythms are responsible for many processes in our bodies, such as regulating when we fall asleep and wake up. It has been shown that disruptions to circadian rhythms, like jet lag or simply screen time late at night, may be a trigger for mental illnesses. In the case of SAD, the disruption comes from the change in the pattern of day vs. night exposure. This also explains why the fraction of people affected by SAD increases as we move further north.  

Depending on the severity of the SAD, another possible treatment consists of antidepressants, which aim to boost the level of serotonin in the brain. Other approaches can include supplementation with vitamin D, a vitamin linked to circadian rhythms, and/or counselling, especially focusing on CBT.

References:  

[1] Mayo Clinic: SAD – https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651 

[2] CAMH: SAD – https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/seasonal-affective-disorder 

[3] CMHA, BC : SAD –  https://bc.cmha.ca/documents/seasonal-affective-disorder-2/  

[3] Walker, W.H., Walton, J.C., DeVries, A.C. et al. Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health. Transl Psychiatry 10, 28 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0694-0 

[4] Melrose S. Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depress Res Treat. 2015 

In order to offer you additional support, we would like to hear back from you. We’re offering a Q & A section for caregivers. If you have specific questions or inquiries about living with mental illness, please send them to familysupport@pathwayssmi.org and we will do our best to address them in a future Notepad newsletter.