However, those who take antidepressants are not advised to take 5-HTP, as antidepressant medications may combine with the supplement to create dangerously high levels of serotonin – potentially resulting in serotonin syndrome. Other treatments
Depending upon the patient, one treatment (e.g., lightbox) may be used in conjunction with another (e.g., medication).Negative air ionization, which involves releasing charged particles into the sleep environment, has been found effective, with a 47.9% improvement if the negative ions are in sufficient density (quantity).Physical exercise has shown to be an effective form of depression therapy, particularly when in addition to another form of treatment for SAD. One particular study noted marked effectiveness for treatment of depressive symptoms, when combining regular exercise with bright light therapy. Patients exposed to exercise which had been added to their treatments in 20 minutes intervals on the aerobic bike during the day, along with the same amount of time underneath the UV light were seen to make a quick recovery.Of all the psychological therapies aimed at the prevention of SAD, cognitive-behaviour therapy, typically involving thought records, activity schedules and a positive data log, has been the subject of the most empirical work. However, evidence for CBT or any of the psychological therapies aimed at preventing SAD remains inconclusive. Epidemiology
Nordic countries
Winter depression is a common slump in the mood of some inhabitants of most of the Nordic countries. Iceland, however, seems to be an exception.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder subset, in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year exhibit depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most commonly in winter. Common symptoms include sleeping too much, having little to no energy, and overeating. The condition in the summer can include heightened anxiety.In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV and DSM-5, its status was changed. It is no longer classified as a unique mood disorder, but is now a specifier, called "with seasonal pattern", for recurrent major depressive disorder that occurs at a specific time of the year, and fully remits otherwise. Although experts were initially skeptical, this condition is now recognized as a common disorder. However, the validity of SAD has been questioned by a 2016 analysis by the Center for Disease Control, in which no links were detected between depression and seasonality or sunlight exposure. In the United States, the percentage of the population affected by SAD ranges from 1.4% of the population in Florida, to 9.9% in Alaska. SAD was formally described and named in 1984, by Norman E. Rosenthal and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health. History
SAD was first systematically reported and named in the early 1980s, by Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., and his associates at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Rosenthal was initially motivated by his desire to discover the cause of his own experience of depression during the dark days of the northern US winter, called polar night.