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Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Spirituality in Cardiovascular Disease
Published in Stephen T. Sinatra, Mark C. Houston, Nutritional and Integrative Strategies in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2022
Erminia Guarneri, Shyamia Stone
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) refers to depression that occurs when light exposure is limited. This has led to research exploring the impact of light on depression and serotonin synthesis,140 which has implications for all types of depression. While light therapy is a highly accepted form of treatment for SAD, it has also been studied as a noninvasive modality to treat non-seasonal depression.141–143 A review by Zhao and colleagues144 illustrates the efficacy of utilizing light therapy in the morning within 30 minutes of waking to combat depression in various populations including geriatric populations, individuals with MDD, and those with minor depression. A significant decrease in depressive symptoms was found across various treatment conditions, though the greatest results were found when white or pale blue light is administered at an intensity of 5,000 lux for 50 minutes within 30 minutes of waking for a duration of 2–4 weeks.144 Light therapy is noninvasive, with no reported adverse effects, and additional benefits of increasing sleep efficacy and evening melatonin production.145 Where possible, light therapy could also be incorporated with exercise, by encouraging patients to go for a 50–60 minute walk in the sun every morning upon waking.
Sleep Disturbances and Mental Disorders
Published in Zippi Dolev, Mordechai Zalesch, Judy Kupferman, Sleep and Women's Health, 2019
Zippi Dolev, Mordechai Zalesch, Judy Kupferman
Light therapy: The beneficial effect of light on human health has been known since ancient times. Studies show a link between light and depression in general, not only seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (a tendency of people, especially women, to fall into depression with the changes of seasons). The insight is that in a state of depression, there is a disruption in a number of biological rhythms including light and darkness (day and night). Light treatment in modern psychiatry developed only in the 1980s as a quick and effective therapy, especially in cases of SAD. Multiple studies indicate that exposure for 30–60 minutes to clear white light (daylight, a standard light bulb) in the early hours of the morning can significantly improve mood in a matter of days.
The Impact of Technology on Mental Health
Published in Bahman Zohuri, Patrick J. McDaniel, Electrical Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders, 2019
Bahman Zohuri, Patrick J. McDaniel
These are also known as affective disorders or depressive disorders. Patients with these conditions have significant changes in mood, generally involving either mania (elation) or depression. Examples of mood disorders include: Major Depression – the individual is no longer interested in and does not enjoy activities and events that they previously liked. There are extreme or prolonged periods of sadness.Bipolar Disorder – previously known as manic-depressive illness, or manic depression. The individual switches from episodes of euphoria (mania) to depression (despair).Persistent Depressive Disorder – previously known as dysthymia, this is mild chronic (long term) depression. The patient has similar symptoms to major depression but to a lesser extent.Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a type of major depression that is triggered by a lack of daylight. It is most common in countries far from the equator during late autumn, winter, and early spring.
Seasonality of plasma tryptophan and kynurenine in pregnant mothers with a history of seasonal affective disorder: Vulnerability or adaptation?
Published in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 2020
Robert D. Levitan, Maria Sqapi, Leslie Atkinson, Kellie Murphy, Anthony Levitt, Alan Bocking, Martin Post, Julia A. Knight, Stephen G. Matthews
In temperate northern climates such as Canada, a large proportion of individuals experience one or more symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood syndrome characterised by low energy, increased appetite, hypersomnia and weight gain in the fall-winter months (Rosenthal et al. 1984, 1987; Levitt et al. 2000). It has been suggested that SAD may be a vestigial evolutionary strategy to conserve energy during anticipated periods of low food availability (Levitan et al. 2006). This might have particular relevance to pregnancy given the high energy demands of gestation and childbirth (Eagles 2004; Davis and Levitan 2005). While a tendency to give birth at particular times of the year has not been studied in SAD patients per se, both individuals with SAD and their unaffected siblings have a greater tendency to be born in the spring-summer months relative to matched controls (Pjrek et al. 2004, 2007). As discussed by these authors, this may reflect seasonal conception habits in parents at higher genetic risk for seasonality themselves.
Tanning benefits, seasonal effects, and concerns about sunscreen: Measuring health beliefs about UV among college students
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2020
Anne K. Julian, Sheryl Thorburn, G. John Geldhof
Another factor that may contribute to UV exposure is beliefs about seasonal depression due to lack of sunlight. Broadly, depression is an important and prevalent health concern for college populations.20 Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a cyclic form of depression that remits during the summer months. Although the cause of SAD is not fully understood, etiologic theories focus on seasonal changes in the period of naturally occurring light, serotonergic neurotransmitters, and circadian rhythm disruption.21–23 Treatment of SAD includes pharmacotherapies such as antidepressants and bright light therapy (BLT), which requires ocular exposure to bright, sometimes blue, wavelengths of light and has shown consistent effectiveness.24,25 Although the devices used in BLT emit no UV light, UV exposure in a tanning bed results in a beta-endorphin release26 that tanners may interpret as a therapeutic effect of UV exposure on depressive symptoms. Thus, conflation of BLT with UV light and the desire to avert or treat seasonal depressive symptoms may impact UV exposure behavior, especially in cloudy climates. Previous research indicates that mood motivations play a role in intentional UV exposure behaviors such as indoor tanning,27 and this may particularly be the case among college students. Scales measuring mood-related reasons to indoor tan, however, have not addressed the impact of climate and beliefs about prevention of seasonal depression.28,29
Bright light shows promise in improving sleep, depression, and quality of life in women with breast cancer during chemotherapy: findings of a pilot study
Published in Chronobiology International, 2021
Horng-Shiuann Wu, J. E. Davis, L. Chen
Therapeutic bright light has shown effectiveness in treating circadian rhythm sleep disorders (Dijk et al. 1995; Gooley 2008; Kuller 2002; Terman et al. 1995) and has alleviated fatigue and insomnia in conditions such as seasonal affective disorder, shift work, and jet-lag (Eastman and Martin 1999; Meesters and Lambers 1990; Petrie et al. 1989; Rastad et al. 2011; Tanaka et al. 2011). The underlying rationale for therapeutic bright light is that optimal sleep/wakefulness patterns require proper alignment of endogenous circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles (Kanathur et al. 2010). A misalignment of the cycles results in various sleep/wake disorders, which can be treated by appropriately timed exposure to bright light (Dijk et al. 1995; Gooley 2008; Terman et al. 1995).