This video answers the question: What is seasonal affective disorder? When we talk about seasonal affective disorder, we're actually talking about something that's not technically a standalone mental health disorder, but it's actually a specifier of other disorders. The specifier is “with seasonal pattern.” This specifier is available to disorders like Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Bipolar I Disorder, and Bipolar II Disorder. We usually think of it as most associated with major depressive disorder, but it may occur at about the same rate in individuals with bipolar disorder. Seasonal pattern occurs about 10-20% of the time with presentations of Major Depressive Disorder. For an individual to be eligible for a diagnosis that includes this specifier, they would have to meet the full criteria for Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder, then the diagnostic criteria for seasonal pattern would be considered. Specifically referring to MDD, the symptoms of a seasonal pattern specifier include a temporal relationship between major depressive episodes and a particular time of the year, full remissions occur at a particular time of the year, in the last two years there have been at least two major depressive episodes that follow this temporal pattern and no non-seasonal major depressive episodes, the seasonal major depressive episodes substantially outnumber non-seasonal major depressive episodes over the course of the individuals lifetime. Those were the symptom criteria for seasonal pattern related to major depressive disorder, and the symptom criteria for seasonal pattern with bipolar disorder is close to the same, except it can also be a manic or hypomanic episode. In MDD with seasonal pattern we usually see symptoms of MDD that may be in one direction or the other, for example, with seasonal pattern we usually see low levels of energy, overeating, weight gain, hypersomnia, a craving for carbohydrates. With the spring and summer seasonal pattern we would more likely see a decrease in appetite, weight loss, anxiety, and insomnia. The prevalence of seasonal pattern with MDD tends to increase as individuals are farther away from the equator. There are several treatments for MDD with seasonal pattern including light therapy, medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These treatment options as usually fairly effective.
