Socialising, exercise vital to keeping seasonal affective disorder at bay in Australia's colder cities

ABC NEWS (Australia)

From pub trivia to tai chi, experts say socialising and keeping active are important when it comes to fending off the winter blues. A 2023 study estimated between 0.3 and 9 per cent of Australians experienced seasonal affective disorder (SAD), with the highest prevalence in Hobart.

Transcript

00:00On a cold winter evening in Australia's southernmost capital city, patrons at this pub are warming

00:09up for Trivia.

00:10We come pretty regularly ever since it got a bit dark and dreary, yeah so Trivia's kind

00:17of our winter sport.

00:18It's cold outside, it's warm in here, it allows us to connect with our friends when

00:23we would normally probably be at home.

00:25The Taj Mahal is located near which Indian city?

00:31Trivia host Matt says the event gets busier over the winter.

00:36People are trying to escape their winter blues by coming and playing Trivia so generally speaking

00:43every Trivia night that we do across the week sees an increase in numbers.

00:49This Tai Chi class is one of many programs the Hobart Council puts on during winter to

00:55keep older residents active and social.

00:58They can experience sadness and loneliness which can also mean that they isolate.

01:04So having a place to go to is really important.

01:08Whether it's Trivia or Tai Chi, experts say maintaining a normal routine of socialising

01:13and exercise is vital to fending off the winter blues.

01:17Or more seriously, seasonal affective disorder which is a type of depression that follows

01:22a seasonal pattern most commonly during the winter months.

01:26Because of the weather, because of the lack of light which is one of the main factors associated

01:32with the presence of seasonal affective disorder, people change these socialising patterns.

01:38Dr Flores' 2023 study estimates that Hobart has the highest prevalence of the disorder

01:44in Australia.

01:45In summer, here in Hobart there is 15 hours of daylight, but in winter it's only nine.

01:54So there is a big difference.

01:56Young and old, we all have to deal with it in our own ways.

02:00And so that's where community really has to come in and lift each other up.

02:05Creating a community cure for the winter blues.

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