Seasonal affective disorder
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What is seasonal affective disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is episodes of depression that occur at a certain time of the year, usually during winter.
Common symptoms reported by people with seasonal affective disorder
Common symptoms
How bad it is
What people are taking for it
Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.
Last updated:
Treatments taken by people with seasonal affective disorder
Treatment name(s)
Type
How many have tried
Tried for
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
9
Tried for
seasonal affective disorder
(6)
depressed mood
(5)
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
9
Tried for
depressed mood
(5)
seasonal affective disorder
(4)
2 more
Type
Prescription Drug
How many have tried
7
Tried for
depressed mood
(5)
seasonal affective disorder
(4)
Data from patients with seasonal affective disorder, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
Last updated:
Compare treatments taken by people with seasonal affective disorder
Treatment name(s)
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Perceived effectiveness
for seasonal affective disorder (6 evaluations)
Side effects
eye pain
Total evaluations
6
Tried for
seasonal affective disorder
(11)
Perceived effectiveness
for seasonal affective disorder (7 evaluations)
Total evaluations
10
Tried for
seasonal affective disorder
(6)
depressed mood
(5)
Perceived effectiveness
for depressed mood (4 evaluations)
Total evaluations
9
Tried for
depressed mood
(5)
seasonal affective disorder
(4)
2 more
Perceived effectiveness
for anxious mood (2 evaluations)
Side effects
constipation
Total evaluations
2
Tried for
anxious mood
(7)
Perceived effectiveness
for depressed mood (4 evaluations)
Total evaluations
9
Tried for
depressed mood
(5)
seasonal affective disorder
(4)
Perceived effectiveness
for anxious mood (3 evaluations)
Side effects
daytime sleepiness
Total evaluations
3
Tried for
anxious mood
(7)
Perceived effectiveness
for seasonal affective disorder (4 evaluations)
Side effects
Total evaluations
6
Tried for
seasonal affective disorder
(7)
Perceived effectiveness
for anxious mood (4 evaluations)
Side effects
sleepiness
Total evaluations
4
Tried for
anxious mood
(6)
depressed mood
(3)
Perceived effectiveness
for pain (5 evaluations)
Side effects
Total evaluations
6
Tried for
pain
(5)
anxious mood
(2)
Perceived effectiveness
for depressed mood (2 evaluations)
Total evaluations
4
Tried for
depressed mood
(4)
pain
(1)
1 more
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
- Severe
- Moderate
- Mild
- None
Data from patients with seasonal affective disorder, who reported starting treatments within the last 5 years.
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Who has seasonal affective disorder on PatientsLikeMe?
- 915 patients have this condition
- 5 new patients joined this month
- 203 say seasonal affective disorder is their primary condition
| Age | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| <20 | 4 | |
| 20s | 74 | |
| 30s | 140 | |
| 40s | 192 | |
| 50s | 247 | |
| 60s | 171 | |
| 70+ | 41 |
| Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 years | 172 | |
| 20-29 years | 94 | |
| 30-39 years | 75 | |
| 40-49 years | 54 | |
| 50-59 years | 18 | |
| 60-69 years | 5 | |
| 70+ years | 0 |
Distribution of sex
| Sex | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 154 | |
| Female | 715 |
| Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 419 | |
| Not Diagnosed | 148 |
These charts show data from seasonal affective disorder patients who have completed their condition history
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