These 5 facts will change how you see SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of...

A. Depression

B. Learning disability

C. Anxiety

A. Depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of depression that beings and ends at the same time every year, usually tied to the winter months.

What percentage of the US population has SAD?

A. 40%

B. 15%

C. 25%

D. 6%

D. Research suggests SAD affects about 6 percent Americans.

True or False: SAD only affects people in the fall and winter.

A. True

B. False

C. It's complicated

B. False. A small percentage of people who have SAD feel the symptoms in the spring and summer.

What is the leading theory for what causes SAD in the winter?

A. Cold and wet weather

B. Changes in schedules

C. Shorter days

D. Holiday stress

C. Shorter days. Although psychologists aren't quite sure what causes wintertime SAD, research suggests people with the condition fare better when exposed to sunlight-mimicking lamps.

True or False: SAD affects women more than men.

A. True

B. False

C. It's complicated

C. It's complicated. Research shows more women are diagnosed with SAD, but that's because women are more likely to report symptoms of depression, period. Men may be equally likely to have SAD, but scientists don't have the data.