Seasonal Affective Disorder

Course overview

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs during times of the year when hours of sunlight are limited. To have a seasonal designation, people with SAD must have symptoms of major depressive disorder in addition to seasonal specifiers. SAD is distinguished by onset in the fall and remission in the summer. The goal of this course is to educate nurses in acute care facilities on seasonal affective disorder with an emphasis on distinguishing qualifiers of depressive episodes and implications for nurses.