How new SAD seasonal depression boxes in Orkney aim to brighten long winter nights

With the clocks having gone back and people preparing for winter, the reduced sunlight and bad weather can take its toll on some more than others.

However, it’s hoped that a set of Wintering Well boxes will help those in Orkney who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad) this winter.

Orkney residents are now able to borrow the boxes from the local library service.

They include equipment and information aimed at helping those who struggle in the dark winter months.

The isles are notoriously dark in winter with some days getting just six hours of sunlight, which are often dulled by the weather.

Orkney Library Services’ mobile library van, known locally as Booky McBookface, will ensure the boxes are available to everyone across the county, including those living on the outer isles.

Even before the scheme was officially launched in Orkney, the uptake was good – with four of the seven borrowable boxes going out the door.

The resources in the boxes were developed by teams from Scottish universities.

The scheme was piloted successfully in Greater Glasgow and Ireland before reaching Orkney.

What’s in the box?

The contents of the boxes are aimed at giving those with Sad some extra light while also encouraging them to try to develop healthy habits and activities

The box includes:

• A therapeutic lamp.
• A guidebook with tips on simple indoor and outdoor activities which can help develop a healthy new winter routine.
• A frame to help people focus on outdoor scenes.
• Access to a free online course helping users tackle the effects of seasonal affective disorder.

Two of the boxes will be kept in the libraries in Kirkwall and Stromness for use within those buildings.

The resources in the Wintering Well Box were designed by a project team from the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh with the help of people who live with Sad during the winter months.

How Sad boxes have already brought winter smiles

The introduction of the boxes is an expansion of the Wintering Well programme.

The loan scheme was successfully piloted in East Dunbartonshire libraries last year.

The development of the Wintering Well boxes is part of a UKRI-funded research project called ‘Living with Sad’.

The box-loan concept was successfully introduced last winter in libraries in Greater Glasgow with the help of East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture.

It proved to be a success with more than 200 loans and 349 renewals recorded by the library service.

There was also overwhelmingly positive feedback from library users.

Libraries across East Dunbartonshire are running the scheme again this year, and have shared the Wintering Well boxes north to Orkney.

Community link practitioners from Voluntary Action Orkney are helping promote the scheme, along with a range of Wintering Well activities.

The practitioners from VAO work alongside GP practices on mainland Orkney.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder and how does it affect people?

Seasonal Affective Disorder, sometimes referred to as “the winter blues”, is a kind of depression brought on by the changing of the seasons, according to Mental Health UK.

It can present with symptoms such as emotional challenges, lowered mood, and feelings of anxiety.

This can affect people’s comfort, mood, energy levels, sleeping patterns and appetite.

While it is most commonly associated with autumn and winter, it can affect people at other times of the year.

It is estimated that more than a million people across Britain will experience SAD.

While the causes aren’t fully understood, it has been linked to reduced sunlight.

Unfortunately, sufferers often have very limited access to social or medical support to help them through winter.

Orkney residents are no strangers to putting up with long, dark winter days.

They only see around six hours of daylight by midwinter and this is often dulled by bad weather.

Will the SAD boxes help Orcadians?

The success of the scheme in Orkney will rely on people coming forward to use the boxes.

And, even before the clocks went back and the rollout of the SAD boxes was officially launched, some had already gone out the door.

Senior library assistant with Orkney Library & Archive, John Peterson spoke ahead of the rollout of the boxes, last Thursday.

“People will be able to borrow the boxes for up to four weeks at a time.

“They can get them from their libraries and we’ll also have them out on the mobile library, in the same way we distribute books now.

“The idea wasn’t to launch them until Monday but already we’ve had people reserving them.

“Four have gone out already. So it seems like they’re all going to go when we launch it properly.

“There’s been talk of us getting more, but we also think that people who feel the benefit will probably invest in their own lamp.”

[Source: Press and Journal]