Seasonal Affective Disorder
When you hear seasonal affective disorder, you probably think of the cold, dark days of winter. But for some people, seasonal depression arrives at the opposite time of year.
As temperatures rise and daylight stretches into the evening, sadness, anxiety and irritability can emerge. Wednesday on the 鈥淪ound of Ideas,鈥� we'll discuss how heat, light and seasonal changes can affect our mental health.
Guest:
- Alicia Roth, Ph.D., Behavioral Sleep Medicine Psychologist, Cleveland Clinic
Understanding claims about antidepressants
Later, we鈥檒l speak with mental health experts about antidepressants. A recent Gallup poll found 18% of adults reported having depression last year. And depression rates for Americans under 30 and lower income adults have risen dramatically over the last eight years.
Antidepressant medications have been shown to help ease depressive symptoms. One common type of medication, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, were used by more than 11% of adults in 2023, according to CDC data. And adults in the Midwest take antidepressants more than any other region in the nation.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has been outwardly skeptical about the use of SSRIs, and last month, announced a plan to address the "overuse of psychiatric medications, especially among children" in favor of what he calls a more holistic approach to mental health.
But psychiatrists have warned that some of the claims about the side effects of antidepressants are misinformed, including that there's an increased link to mass violence. And there's concern that this move could limit access to treatment for millions who rely on it.
Guests:
- Jonathan Sadowsky, Ph.D., Professor, History of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
- Luis Felipe Amunategui, Ph.D., Child-Adolescent Psychologist, University Hospitals
- Karin Coifman, Ph.D., Professor, Psychological Sciences, Kent State University
