Seasonal Affective Disorder
This topic submitted by Lindsay Fallert, Alyssa Moll, Shira Moskowitz, Katy Workman (
mollam@muohio.edu ) on 10/9/03 .
Question:
Depending on the season, the amount of sun light a person receives each day will vary. In the summer there is daylight than in the winter. In other words there is more sunlight in the summer and less in the winter. The amount of sunlight in the spring and fall is roughly equal day and night, except the amount of daylight is either growing or shrinking respectively. Within each season there also is a an arrangement of weather patterns, such as an overcast of clouds, sun with a few clouds, fog, rain, thunderstorms, blizzard, hail, snow, sun, and temperature. Each of the weather patterns is a factor in the amount of sunlight a person receives for that day. For some people, the amount of sunlight received each day can significantly change the emotional responses throughout the day. The proper name for the concept of how weather and especially the amount of sunlight affect our moods is Seasonal Affect Disorder, also known as SAD. Through this lab we will discover the truth about the affect of weather on peopleÕs moods and emotional states of mind. For example, are people generally in a better mood when the sun is out than when it is cloudy? If this were true, would it make sense to use the bright treatment lights which imitate sunlight to improve ones mood?Hypothesis:
PeopleÕs moods are affected by seasons and the weather. The amount of sun that can be viewed each day is directly related to how people feel. Weather is also an important factor in peopleÕs moods. If the weather outside is clear, sunny and warm, than their moods will be happy, energetic and confident, while if the weather outside is stormy, cloudy, foggy, rainy, etc. than their moods would vary accordingly; upset, lethargic, reserved. Weather is not the only factor, but the number of daylight hours, amount of sunlight, also can affect peopleÕs moods. In the winter there are fewer hours of sunlight, while the summer has more hours of sunlight. Imitation sunlight or just really bright lights can improve the mood of those affected by lack of sunlight.
Introduction:
ÒThroughout the centuries, poets have described a sense of sadness, loss and lethargy plus tiredness, a bit of weight gain, difficulty getting out of bed and bouts of "the blues" which can accompany the shortening days of fall and winterÓ (#16). Seasonal Affectve Disorder (SAD) is a basically universal depression. Of course it ranges in degree from severe to barely noticeable; however no one is quite certain why the change in seasons and the amount of sun received by individuals plays such an important role in mood and depression. This is a major reason that we decided to research the topic, because such a universal disorder will likely affects many of our everyday relationships. One interesting fact is that humans are not the only animals that suffer from such season affects, most animalsÕ do (#10). A less professional name for this disorder is Ôwinter bluesÕ or Ôwinter depression.Õ Although rare, summer depression has also been diagnosed (#13). However, SAD is more involved than the basic winter blahs, and is a diagnosed case of depression that does require treatment and knowledge to overcome the emotional struggle (#9).
Searching for treatment uncovered a vast expanse of remedies. Several of these were from widely accredited health agencies, yet there were also sites that offered more personal, alternative methods for coping with SAD (#4). The most common treatment was about light, especially sun light and the relationship between it and mankind (#1). Special sun-lights have been created to provide artificial lighting. These Ò10,000-lux lights contain white fluorescent light tubes covered with a plastic screen that blocks ultraviolet raysÓ (#3). Most patients remain in the room with the lamp for around ninety minutes. Many other common depression disorders such as circadian cycles and disruptions from jet lag are being tested with these lights with positive results (#8).
The causes of SAD are widely debated; around one tenth of the population suffers from this disorder. Out of the diagnosed patients, three fourths of them are women (#17). Typically SAD does not show until mid to late twenties, and the risk decreases with age, however, many teens suffer from a milder response to the changes in seasons, offering a symptom or developing SAD later in life (#5). It is also proven that residents of Northern and Southern countries suffer a higher rate of SAD because of the greater variance of the sun light (#6). In fact, several sources point to a biochemical imbalance in the brain that causes a greater response to the effects of the sun and SAD (#14). Many resources offer links to many other pages, these act like databases to use as a starting point, to browse certified links (#15). Many resources give symptoms of SAD, and a few actually give tips on whether a diagnosis might be helpful, these ask detailed questions about mood cycles and offer one better insight into emotions and changes in mood (# 2).
Light is an important factor for all life on the planet, including both plants and animals. Obviously sunlight is being proven to affect emotions, and it also is being shown to have a huge influence on sleep cycles and circadian rhythms (#12). Typically, the side effects for light therapy are ignored and treated like miniscule problems because they are so rare, yet they exist and include jitteriness, a feeling of eyestrain and a headache (#16). Although this disorder is annual, the people affected do not always allow their depression to take over, in fact, several have become doctors who specialize in SAD, and who would be better for the job? Several of these doctors have posted interviews to offer information, hope, and answers to commonly asked questions for others dealing with SAD (#11 + # 7).
Methods:
We will pass out one survey for multiple first year college students, and conduct interviews (samples below) about moods Tuesday through Friday at two oÕclock. The sample groups will be our Natural Systems class and AlyssaÕs two oÔclock Creativity and Cultures class with Yvonne. The interviewed person will be chosen at random once a day from these classes. We will also record what the weather conditions are in Oxford, OH each day based on the data from WeatherBug, which has the date, time, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and amount of rain for that day. The data will be collected, and from there we will determine whether or not there is a correlation between mood and weather.
Survey
Date:
Age:
Gender:
Please rate which one best exemplifies you today :
1) Work on schoolwork outside Work on schoolwork inside
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2) Go for a walk/jog/run outside Stay in the dorms
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
3) Energetic Lethargic
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
4) Sad Happy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5) Upset Content
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
6) Confident Shy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7) Calm Stressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Interview
Date:
Age:
Gender:
1) What is your favorite season? Why?
Do you prefer:
2) To do your work outside or inside?
3) If you exercise, do you normally do it outside or inside?
4) Rain or no rain? Why?
5) Sun or no sun? Why?
6) Snow or no snow? Why?
7) Clouds or no clouds? Why?
8) Does the temperature affect your daily routine/plans?
9) Does the amount of precipitation affect your daily routine/plans?
10) Do you tend to spend more time indoors in the Summer or Winter? Why?
11) Do you notice a change in your mood from season to season? When? Why?
Our Day:
Begin by discussing the basics of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and asking the class if they are aware of anyone diagnosed or if they themselves are. Does anyone notice a change in general mood and outlook from season to season? Pass out the crossword puzzle. Begin a PowerPoint presentation to bring the ideas of SAD in visual form, and have the answers for the crossword puzzles written in the presentation. Emphasis will be placed on interesting facts e.g. animals suffering from SAD also and the existence of summer depression also. Share personal antidotes about SAD and its affects. Show a sun lamp to offer a visual representation of treatment, and have lamp on during class, while we are not expecting any emotional change it will be interesting to record if there is. Laffy TaffyÕs will be given to anyone who answers a question correctly, and the person who gets the most answers correct on the sun/human relationship test which is on the back of the crossword puzzle. Towards the end we will perform a skit or show a short segment of a movie depicting SAD to keep attention, and to provide a change in pace. At the end we will have a question and answer section in which we will provide a link to a site which includes a self diagnostic test.
Results
a. Observations: In our results, we will review our observations and what we learned from the lab. We will discuss whether or not our test subjects noticed a difference in their levels of happiness, concentration, and confidence as the weather was warmer or colder, sunnier or cloudier. If so, were they more optimistic and happy as it was warmer and sunnier, or when it was colder and cloudier? How about when it was warm and cloudy, or cool and sunny? Through this we will discuss the results of the surveys that our test subjects filled out every week. Could their moods have been attributed to anything other than the weather? One of the most interesting things to find out will be whether the light box makes a noticeable difference in the moods of the students on Our Day. We will have the light box on during the entire class, is that enough to make a difference? How many people out of all of our test subjects noticed an actual unexplained (other than through the seasons) difference in their mood and general outlook as the seasons and weather changed? Hopefully we will find the answers to these questions in our results.
b. Tables and Figures: We will want to use several tables and figures in the final results of our lab to keep track of our information. We will use a combination of bar graphs and line graphs to display the variations of moods and their correlations to the varying weather conditions.
Discussions & Conclusions
a. Interpret: This portion of our lab report heavily relies on our research and test results. With our results, we will be able to tell how many people seem to be affected emotionally by the weather and the seasons, and the survey will ideally be able to tell us in what ways they were affected. With the survey we should be able to determine which moods were caused by the weather, and which were influenced by other external elements, such as a getting a high or low grade on a test, or having a birth or death in the family. This way, even though we know there will be variables that will alter our results, we will get as accurate a conclusion as possible.
b. Think: Although our lab will provide us with a very insightful view into the reality of Seasonal Affect Disorder, there are still some things that we would like to know that would take much more extensive testing, carried out by professionals with lots of time and money. If we were to do a year - long test on SAD with a larger testing group, we would be able to get a much better idea of just how many people are affected emotionally by the weather in the seasons. Most everyone is affected in some way by the seasons, whether they really notice or not, but how many people actually would be officially diagnosed with Seasonal Affect Disorder? Is it more common than we think? Do light boxes actually work? During our presentation day we plan on having a light box present to see if anyone feels its affects, but most of our research has said that it takes more like two weeks to actually feel the effects of the light box.
c. Suggestions: For further investigation, we would have to do a much more extensive and expensive experiment. More volunteers as test subjects and the involvement of a doctor and/or psychiatrist would also help out in making our results more profound and accurate. There are several variables in our lab that make it very hard to control the accuracy of our results. Any time you are dealing with emotions it is more difficult to get scientifically acceptable results. Someone in class could just be happy because they passed someone in the hall who smiled at them and it made them smile, but doesnÕt stick out in their mind as a particularly meaningful event. There are so many uncertainties, that we just have to make everything black and white with as little room to vary as possible, and try to cover all of our bases.
Bibliography:
1. Beckett, Elizabeth Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra. ÒS.A.D.Ó 1998 ThinkQuest
Internet Challenge. 1998. 10/8/03. 2. Center for Mental Health Services. ÒSeasonal Depression.Ó 12/01. 10/8/03.
3. Cleveland Clinic. ÒUnderstanding Seasonal Affective Disorder and Light Therapy.Ó
Department of Patient Education and Health Information. 2003. 10/8/03.
4. Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó 2001.
10/8/03. 5. Girl Power: Health. ÒSeasonal Affective disorder.Ó PREVLINE. 10/8/03.
6. Lam, Raymond W. M.D. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó Internet Mental Health.
January 1994. 10/8/03. 7. Lam, R.W. Dr. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder Information Page.Ó UBC Mood
Disorders Centre. 1/03. 10/8/03.
8. Lundberg, George D. MD. ÒDawn's Early Light to Twilight's Last Gleaming.Ó Journal
of the American Medical Association. 11/11/98. 10/8/03.
9. Mayo Clinic Staff. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó 2/5/03. 10/8/03.
10. National Mental Health Association. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó 2003. 10/8/03.
11. Oh, Clare. ÒHealth Salad: Seasonal Depression.Ó The Washington Post. 2000. 10/8/03.
srv/liveonline/00/health/healthtalk/healthsalad090700.htm>12. Outside In. ÒSAD Information Sheet.Ó 1/31/03. 10/8/03.
13. Primer. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó Mental Health and Addictions. 5/03.
10/8/03. 14. SADAssociation. ÒWhat is SAD?Ó 2001. 10/8/03.
15. US National Library of Medicine. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó 8/4/03. 10/8/03.
16. Watkins, Carol E. MD. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder: Winter Depression.Ó Northern
County Psychiatric Associates. 5/2701. 10/8/03.
17. WSC Counseling Center. ÒSeasonal Affective Disorder.Ó 9/3/02. 10/8/03.
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