Seasonal Affective Disorder . Detecting differences between Covid grievence, SAD, and the Holiday Blues .

 Research related to SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder has been on the frontlines of mental health research for the past 30 years . Divers research methods implemented throughout these 30 years has lead to the creation of assestment tools that are important ot diagnose seasonal affective disorder and differentiate the disorder from other depressive disorders (Partonen, T 2021) . One such assestment and diagnostic instrument is the SPAQ and the PIDS tool . The SPAQ tool was designed to assess symptoms of seasonal affective disorder related to the four seasons and designates the over lay of symptoms that may be carried from one season to the other . The PIDS is an assestment instrument that diagnoses seasonal affective disorder clinically . We will utilize PIDS in the  essay to contrast the presence of clinical symptoms related to seasonal affective disorder , depression related to bereavment , and Depression related to the Holiday blues which is related to melancholia . The four part screening tool for provisional identification of patients with seasonal affective disorder is endorced by thwe DSM and parallels its criteria with PIDS . 

Signs and Symptoms of SAD or seasonal affective disorder :

1-Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep 2- Feeling tired 3- Trouble concentrating 4-Overeating 5-  Change in social activity 6- Mood Swings 7- Cravings .

The losses associated with covid pandemic are profound . The very term grief  describes emotional , cognitive funtioning and behavioral responses to a loss . When one experiences the loss of a loved one clinitians concider this a life crisis (Psychiatric Times 2021) . Bereavment is a universal phenominon meaning that every one in every country will repond the same to the loss of a loved one . One of the problems with this phenominon is Proloned Grief Disorder which merits the attention of Mental Health Professional PGD may be the cause of the Holiday blues and feeling of melancholia . 

Signs and Symptoms of Grief and Bereavment 

1-    Persistant longing 2-Emotional Pain 3- Blame 4- Emotional Numbness  5-Denial 6-Guilt 7-Anger  8-Sadness .

Meanwhile MDD  a mood disorder not related to grief may be precipitated or exacerbated by meaningful losses including bereavment , particularly during the pandemic and the holidays in people experiencing both actual bereavment and or melancholia during the holidays . MDD is Major depressive disorder that can be brought upon by prolonged grief and or melancholia . The difference in seasonal affective disorder are clinical , these are 1- waight gain 2- craving particular foods 3- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep  by contrast these  symptoms are absent in clinically diagnosing PGD and MDD  which may lead to Suicidal Ideation .

References 

 Partonen, T & Pandi-Perumal , S.R   (2021) Seasonal Affective Disorder ; Practice and Research .  Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service.NIH Oxford Press

Clark,A ; Iglewicz , A & Zisook, S(2021) Bereavment and Depression . Psychiatric Times . Retrieved from http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/bereavment -and-depression.