Seasonal affective disorder diagnosis

If you think you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder you should contact your GP. Your GP may carry out an assessment to check your mental health and this may include discussing topics such as your lifestyle, mood, sleeping and eating patterns; along with any changes to feelings or thoughts which could relate seasonally.  

SAD can be difficult to diagnose because there are other types of depression with similar symptoms and it may take time to recognise a seasonal pattern. A diagnosis will depend on whether your depression occurs at a similar time each year for a pattern to be considered and whether the period of depression is followed by periods without depression.