TITLE
The Double Whammy of Seasonal Affective Disorder in a Season of Covid
DESCRIPTION
This is a timely article by science/health journalist Jane Brody regarding both the stress of the pandemic coupled with Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD). “But while the pandemic, with its myriad economic, vocational, educational and social disruptions, is challenge enough for people who are not normally prone to the blues, the days of truncated daylight this November through March could be far gloomier than usual for millions of Americans who suffer annually from seasonal depression… This winter the pandemic is expected to intensify the depression experienced by many people with the syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which predictably kicks in each fall when the hours of daylight shorten in the Northern hemisphere and gradually remits in spring…. Except for its seasonal pattern, the symptoms of SAD are similar to those of clinical depression: pervasive sadness, undue fatigue, difficulty concentrating, excessive sleep, lost interest in normally enjoyed activities, and cravings for starches and sweets and its attendant weight gain.” The article offers some very simple solutions to deal with the issue.
The article can be coupled with the chapters on Health and Psychology as well as abnormal/psychopathology.
SOURCE
New York Times, November 2, 2020, by Jane E. Brody
LINK TO RESOURCE
(Tiny URL) https://tinyurl.com/yx9pws5l
CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
•What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
•How is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) both similar and dissimilar from clinical depression?
•How is geography related to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
•What are some of the simple solutions offered in the article to deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Leave a Reply