Friday, Aug. 2, 2024
Can Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affect people in summer?
Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, is traditionally associated with winter months when there are shorter days and less sunlight, but it can also affect people during the spring and summer.
Psychiatrists from the University of Arizona have said symptoms of the condition in the summer months could be the result of changes in daylight duration and exposure to natural light—especially in Arizona, where high temperatures can cause people to stay inside longer than they might otherwise.
These changes in light exposure or routine can have an impact on several aspects of our bodies and lives, like the chemicals that help regulate our mood, our social worlds, or our circadian rhythm, which acts as our internal clock.
SAD symptoms typically last four or five months of the year. Summer associated SAD symptoms can include trouble sleeping, lack of appetite or aggression.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health Seasonal Affective Disorder
- US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- University of Arizona News Beat summertime sadness with these cool tips
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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