The winter blues is the reason that many holidaymakers crave a sunny break during the winter months, research by First Choice has found.
The leisure travel company conducted the research to find out why they see a spike in bookings for holidays during January, to sunny destinations such as the Caribbean and Central America.
The study has shown that 7 per cent of the UK population is affected by a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD.
SAD is a type of depression that materialises in the winter months. Researchers have put the occurrence of SAD down to the reduced amount of hours of daylight each day in the winter, and lack of sunlight.
A further 17 per cent of the population suffer from a milder form of the condition, called subsyndromal SAD – more commonly known as the winter blues.
First Choice’s research found that office workers in the Northern countries, such as the UK and Scandinavian countries, got as little as one hour of sunlight outside the normal working hours of 9-5.
“Our findings draw attention to just how little exposure to sunlight most of us have at this time of year,” said Nathan Timmins, Head of Online Marketing for First Choice.
“When you consider that SAD and subsyndromal SAD affects 7 and 17 per cent of the UK population respectively, with a higher percentage in some other northern countries, it’s really no surprise that we see so many people booking beach holidays during the darker months.”
Symptoms of SAD can include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, negative thoughts, and feelings of guilt. Although SAD only affects 7 per cent of the population, up to 35 per cent of SAD sufferers require hospitalisation.
Jonathan Cridland, CEO at Lumie – a light therapy specialist – said: “If a colleague or employee is suffering from SAD, a winter holiday to somewhere bright can help immensely.”
