Daylight Savings Time and Mood Disorders

[Jules A]

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I can't stand the time change. It is initially somewhat disruptive to my sleep regimen and getting dark at 5pm is just lousy. With regard to patients there is a definite uptick in mood dysregulation both in the fall and spring. I keep hoping it will become a thing of the past and wonder if looking at it from a financial standpoint ie. increased inpatient hospitalizations, MVAs etc might aid in abolishing this outdated tradition. Your thoughts?

 

[Mass Effect]

I can't stand the time change. It is initially somewhat disruptive to my sleep regimen and getting dark at 5pm is just lousy.

5pm? By 5 pm, it's totally dark where I am. It starts to get dark at 4 pm. Terrible.

 

[hamstergang]

I hate it too. It's pointless at this time and certainly causes problems. However, the link to heart attacks is a bit more interesting. While the rate of them increases on the Monday after the time change, the total heart attacks for the week is actually steady, suggesting that the time change just kills off some people a few days earlier than they otherwise would have gone.

Daylight Saving Impacts the Timing of Heart Attacks - American College of Cardiology

www.acc.org

 

[clausewitz2]

The connection of bipolar diathesis to circadian systems is pretty clear. My favorite demonstration of this was a paper that found a correlation between how much rates of mania increased in the spring and the change in cumulative daily solar radiation a given geographical area received between winter and spring. That is, the more difference there is in sunshine between the darkest time and when it is getting lighter, the more mania happens in the region in question.

I am sure DST is not helping anyone's mood disorder but at least as far as bipolar disorders are concerned it's probably less important than the actual seasonal changes.

 

[shahseh22]

I think they don't do it in Arizona?

 

[PikminOC]

I think they don't do it in Arizona?

And in half of Indiana

 

[Jules A]

And in half of Indiana

1/2? Thats just weird, lol.

 

[psych_0]

Whatever happened to Florida’s plans for permanent daylight saving time? | You asked, we answer

Florida voted it into law recently, but it hasn't been approved by Congress yet so it has not gone into effect..