Research finds many people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), particularly in the colder months, and pubs can play a role in helping stave off the blues through socialising.
According to physiatrist and University of Tasmania adjunct professor Dr Adriana Nevarez Flores, SAD is when depressive episodes have recurred, during the same season, for at least two years. It is most common in winter.
The tendency to stay indoors during winter months can mean many people socially isolate, increasing the likelihood of loneliness and depression.
Symptoms of SAD are similar to classic depression, with sufferers typically experiencing fatigue and loss of interest in regular activities, as well as hypersomnia (characterised by a prolonged need for sleep) and craving of more calories or specific foods.
In 2023, as part of her research, Dr Flores conducted a study on the occurrence of SAD in Australians, incorporating data from prior studies spanning two decades.
The study found up to nine per cent of Aussies experience SAD.
Dr Flores offers advice for people experiencing the disorder, suggesting sufferers try to:
- Maintain regular routines
- Go to bed and rise at the same time as other times of the year
- Maintain roughly the same diet
- Continue social routines, such as meeting with friends or doing sport
“Because of the weather, because of the lack of light — which is one of the main factors associated with the presence of seasonal affective disorder — people change their socialising patterns,” Flores told the ABC.
The shorter days during winter in the Apple Isle is put forth as a contributor to SAD; Hobart recorded the highest rate of SAD in the study, found in nine per cent of residents.
The North Hobart pub hosts weekly trivia nights, and host Mat Scott says attendance swells in the colder months, with some calling it their “winter sport”. A number of regulars say farewell when summer arrives, only to return at the end of daylight saving.
Similarly, Hobart’s Mathers House, operated by Council, provides locals with a schedule of physical and social activities, with a dedicated all-inclusive, all-ages program during winter.
“For some young people, it’s just as impactful as older people,” says centre coordinator Denise Rodrigues.
“So that’s where community really has to come in and lift each other up.”
