FALL WINTER-DEPRESSION AND ITS TREATMENT

Seasonal changes in human behavior have been recognized since ancient times. Starting in 1980 systematic research has been carried out by Ro senthal et al. (1984), who described and characterized a psychopatholo gical and clinical syndrome which is linked to fall/winter and shows r emission in spring/summer and which was termed seasonal affective diso rder (SAD). The symptomatology includes depressed mood, decreased ener gy, hypersomnia, increased appetite and subsequently weight gain and f requently carbohydrate craving. The efficacy of light therapy with bri ght, fuorescent, full-spectrum light has been widely demonstrated for treatment of fall/winter SAD. In additin, treatment with selective ser otonin reuptake inhibitors appears to be successful in this condition.