Sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder no longer left in the dark

Last month Daylight Savings Time struck silently and turned our unsuspecting clocks back an hour. The sun sets before some students even leave their classrooms, and on their subsequent walk home, a hush lies over campus like a blanket. “Is it really only 5:30?” students ask as they finish dinner in Alliot. In the remaining hours of the night, productivity seems like an unreachable goal, and Netflix and napping become two almost ever-present temptations. “It’s just a case of the winter blues,” a friend offering support might say. “It happens to everyone, there’s nothing to worry about.” But sometimes, there is. In the heart of Burlington, Kelly Rohan PhD, professor of psychological science at the University of Vermont, is performing groundbreaking research on a new treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, that is changing how the disorder is handled by professionals and patients alike. Rohan’s research, which focuses on cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention, a groundbreaking form of treatment for SAD, was recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. SAD is a form of recurrent depression that affects people most often in the fall and winter months. People who are diagnosed generally feel a full relief of their symptoms in the spring and summer months, but feel symptoms of depression as the sun starts descending earlier and cold weather begins to strike. According to the APA, Rohan’s laboratory is the first to apply cognitive-behavioral therapy (a type of talk-therapy used as a treatment for non-seasonal depression) to SAD.

One of the most standard treatments for SAD currently is light therapy, which works to combat the symptoms of SAD by exposing patients to artificial light devices that emit a white-fluorescent or full-spectrum light. Rohan’s lab performed clinical trials to compare the effects of the talk-based cognitive-behavioral therapy instead of light therapy. The research revealed that patients treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy exhibited fewer recurrences of depression and less severe symptoms in future winters than those treated with light therapy. “Because it’s recurrent depression, it comes back every winter,” said Rohan, who referred to the current treatment of broad-spectrum light therapy to treat SAD. “I’m more interested in treatments that have enduring effects, than treatments that can get the best response in a six-week time frame.” Many students feel the onset of the winter blues after Daylight Savings Time hits. “I think everyone gets more tired in the winter months, and I think your motivation goes down too,” said Bryanna Evoy, ’16, a biology major at Saint Michael’s College. “I get more stressed out because I’m more tired and don’t want to do what I have to do, so I put it off. It’s easier to stay in bed.” Though Rohan cautions that not all cases of a winter slump indicate SAD, symptoms that begin to interfere with the routine of one’s life call for a trip to a doctor or counselor. “You’re going to notice you’re different if your mood and sleep and eating patterns are changing, or your social activities change,” said Rohan. “If those things start taking a turn for the worse, that should raise some red flags.” Ryan Stanton, a personal counselor at the Bergeron Wellness Center at St. Michael’s, added that a major depressive episode consists of nine major symptoms (see “Know the Symptoms” below), and if someone exhibits five or more within a two-week period, it could be time to schedule an appointment with a professional. In the case of SAD, a seasonal component occurs as well. “Symptoms could include decreased mood, a loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, sleep issues, and irregular appetite,” Stanton said. “For those with SAD, the pattern has occurred for a few winters and is usually the most noticeable in the midwinter months like January or February.” There are resources both on and off campus for those who feel they may be suffering from SAD. On campus, the health center at Bergeron will check Vitamin D and thyroid levels, while the counselors can use cognitive-behavioral therapy. The Durick Library also has two full-spectrum lamps available for check-out. While less efficient than cognitive-behavioral therapy, using one for 15-30 minutes while reading or doing homework can be beneficial, according to Stanton. However, “light treatment doesn’t work if you’re inconsistent,” cautions Stanton. “You’d have to use it for the recommended amount of time every day to see the effects.” There are some organizations on campus that work towards addressing mental health concerns as well. Active Minds, a mental health awareness organization on campus, encourages students to be mindful of their interactions with others, because mental health disorders like SAD may not always be noticeable, according to Jay Swartz, ’17, one of the organization’s leaders. “Be aware of others, treat others respectfully and sensitively to situations they may be in, and keep an open mind,” Swartz said. “Depression is not uncommon, it’s not something that is so rare that people can’t connect over it, and we shouldn’t treat it that way.” While depression does affect everyone differently, Rohan warns against self-diagnosis because sometimes, a mid-winter slump could be just that. “Most people are going to have some symptoms at a high latitude, but they may be more mild, like feeling a little bit sluggish,” Rohan said. “If it crosses the line into clinical depression, then it causes problems for managing life — getting in the way of important things people need to do, and meeting goals. That’s when it’s time to consult a professional.” Though for some it may be difficult, reaching out to a doctor or counselor is important. “One of the biggest problems for many people is the stigma surrounding mental health,” Stanton said. “But it’s important to set the stigma aside and get the help you need. Know yourself and what’s on your plate, be active in the winter, and be intentional in what you do.”

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