SAD
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Seasonal affective disorder |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
SAD has two meanings. It stands for Seasonal affective disorder (mental health & psychiatry) or Social anxiety disorder (mental health & psychiatry).
Meanings of SAD at a glance
| # | SAD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seasonal affective disorder | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
| 2 | Social anxiety disorder | Medical › Mental Health & Psychiatry |
1. Seasonal affective disorder
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
Pattern of depression that recurs at the same time each year, usually beginning in fall or winter and lifting in spring, with low energy, oversleeping, carbohydrate craving and weight gain. Bright light therapy is an effective first-line treatment.
Example: Recurrent winter depression for 4 years: SAD, start 10,000-lux light box 30 minutes each morning.
Psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal and colleagues described and named it in 1984. DSM-5 treats it as a specifier, "with seasonal pattern", for major depressive or bipolar disorder. Prevalence rises with distance from the equator. Bupropion extended-release is approved to prevent seasonal episodes. The less common summer pattern features insomnia and poor appetite.
2. Social anxiety disorder
Medical · Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations
Marked, persistent fear of social or performance situations in which a person might be scrutinized, embarrassed or judged, leading to avoidance or intense distress. It typically begins in adolescence and can limit education, work and relationships.
Example: SAD with avoidance of meetings and eating in public; start CBT and escitalopram.
Formerly called social phobia, a name DSM-5 kept in parentheses. Roughly 7 percent of US adults meet criteria in a given year. CBT and SSRIs or venlafaxine are first-line; beta-blockers help only with predictable performance anxiety. Both meanings of SAD appear in psychiatric notes, so clinicians usually spell out which is meant.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- PMDD – Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- PND – Postnatal depression
- PPD – Postpartum depression
- PTSD – Post-traumatic stress disorder
- RAD – Reactive attachment disorder
- SA – Suicide attempt
- SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
- SCZ – Schizophrenia
- SI – Suicidal ideation
- SIB – Self-injurious behavior
- SLD – Specific learning disorder
- SMI – Serious mental illness
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.