UAE 'summertime blues': What triggers sadness, oversleeping, weight gain as temperatures rise?

Doctors in the UAE are observing rising cases of 'summertime blues' or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression mostly seen in men and women between 40 and 50 years old.

The symptoms for the disorder include feelings of sadness, lack of energy, loss of interest in usual activities, oversleeping, and weight gain.

Shedding light on this phenomenon, experts in the UAE said that "several factors contribute to summertime SAD", but it can be treated.

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Dr Samar Sharaf, a Specialist Psychiatrist at Zulekha Hospital Sharjah said, “Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depressive disorder that occurs during certain seasons of the year. It is one of the common mental disorders. One of the reasons for SAD during summer is that people may have reduced melatonin levels, consistent with long, hot days worsening sleep quality thus leading to symptoms of depression.”

What triggers the phenomenon

Doctors highlighted that longer daylight hours, shorter nights, and high temperatures can also cause sleep disruptions.

“Management of SAD includes proper diagnosis, then ruling out secondary causes of depression, such as underlying medical conditions or drug-induced depression,” Dr Sharaf added.

Some people get a rare form of the disorder, with the depression starting in the late spring or early summer and often ends in the fall.

Girish Hemnani, a Dubai-based Life Coach and Energy Healer said, “In the UAE, we often witness an increase in cases of 'summertime blues' during the summer months. Unlike the winter SAD seen in other parts of the world, our intense summer heat and prolonged daylight hours can trigger this condition. The extreme temperatures along with lifestyle changes required to cope with them are significant factors.”

“Additionally, dehydration and vacation-related stress further exacerbate the situation,” Hemnani added.

Seasonal affective disorder is preavalent in parts of the world where sunlight is scarce during the winter. However, in the UAE, doctors explained why the opposite holds true.

“This phenomenon is generally seen and reported among people in temperate climates and not in tropical climates. It is known as winter depression. In winter the days are short there and a chance to go out in daylight is less. The possibility of vitamin D deficiency is high,” said Dr Shaju George, Specialist Psychiatrist at International Modern Hospital Dubai.

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