Management of seasonal affective disorder

Low mood associated with a certain season (usually winter) is very common. For example, in the UK, up to 6% of adults have "recurrent major depressive episodes with seasonal pattern", commonly known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). People with SAD consult in primary care more often than age- and gender-matched control groups; patients also receive more prescriptions and are referred more often to secondary care. Around 6-35% of patients require hospitalisation for SAD at some point.5 Here we discuss the management of adults with SAD, and in particular light therapy.