Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Opposition poll oroande "borgerliga koalitionsregering i Sverige.
oroande": Reinfeldt Publicerad: 14 December 09 14:39 CETOnline: http://www.thelocal.se/23838/20091214/ Ordbok verktyg Dubbelklicka på ett ord för att få en översättning Svenska statsminister Fredrik Reinfeldt har erkänt att han är oroad av enkät resultat som visar att oppositionen i ett försprång över de borgerliga koalitionsregering. (27 november 09) "Det är mycket oroande. Mona Sahlin blir statsminister hur det ser ut nu, utan att hon låter någon vet var hon vill ta Sverige och utan [oppositionspartierna] har utarbetat någon gemensam politik sade Reinfeldt, talar vid sidan av en talande engagemang på måndagen vid Stockholms universitet. "Jag ska göra allt jag kan för att undvika att kasta Sverige in i kallt vatten, tillade han, innan förutspår att nästa års val kan kristallisera till en folkomröstning om den motsatta blocken respektive sysselsättningspolitik. En Sifo-undersökning som presenterades på söndagen lade trepartssamtal röd-gröna oppositionen i en elva punkt leda över regeringen. Enligt undersökningen, socialdemokraterna, miljöpartiet och vänsterpartiet få ett samlat stöd på 52,2 procent av väljarna, jämfört med bara 40,8 procent för den borgerliga alliansen. En SCB undersökning som publicerades förra veckan visade också på att Mona Sahlin och hennes allierade skulle få tillräckligt stöd för att bilda en regering var ett val som skall hållas i dag. Socialdemokratiska ledare Mona Sahlin sade att hon inte ville ställa alltför mycket aktier i opinionsundersökningar släppt nio månader före valet, men hon uttryckte glädje att den rödgröna alliansen började ta fart. "Jag tycker det är delvis ned till särskiljningsförmåga för den röd-gröna. Det var mycket främmande i början, föregås av en ganska svår start. Nu har vi presenterade oss själva, etablerat oss och har levererat en hel del av den gemensamma politiken. Det är något väljarna alltmer ser, och tillitsfull, och uppskattar, säger Sahlin. "Men det finns också diskussioner om arbetslöshetsförsäkringen, skatt på pensionärer och socialförsäkring som slår regeringen hårt. Deras politik har alltid såg ut så här men man vet nu att de blir avslöjade, tillade hon. Reinfeldt sade att han trodde att hans egen långvariga frånvaro samtidigt om EU-ordförandeskapet tull kan ha haft viss betydelse för de fattiga enkät resultat. Statsministern trodde också kritik kring omfattande förändringar för Sveriges sjukförmåner systemet kan ha haft en negativ inverkan på regeringens rating. Men Reinfeldt tillade att socialdemokraternas egen politik inte skiljer sig avsevärt från regeringen. "I grund och botten inte har några andra förslag. De använder information från media och gör en massa oväsen, eftersom de tror att det kommer att öka sitt stöd." Reinfeldt konstaterade att ledande socialdemokrater som hade tittat in i socialförsäkringssystemet hade uppnått samma slutsats som den moderatledda regeringen: att det inte var hållbart att Sverige har den högsta sjukfrånvaron i Europa. "[Fd socialdemokraten statsminister] Göran Persson brukade resa runt i Europa skryter om att vi inte hade någon arbetslöshet, sade Reinfeldt, som anklagade sin företrädares politik som leder till en situation där det sociala försäkringssystemet användes som buffert bakom sig för att dölja arbetslöshetssiffror. "Folk fick en stämpel i pannan som innebär att deras arbetsdagar var över, sade Reinfeldt och tillade att moderaterna inte tror på att driva människor i förtidspension program bara för att de hade en existentiell kris vid 32 års ålder. Hans parti hade tro på kraften hos den enskilde att studsa tillbaka, sade Reinfeldt
Monday, December 14, 2009
Opposition poll worrying' centre-right coalition government in Sweden.
Opposition poll lead 'very worrying': Reinfeldt
Published: 14 Dec 09 14:39 CETOnline: http://www.thelocal.se/23838/20091214/
Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has admitted he is concerned by poll results showing the opposition in a commanding lead over the centre-right coalition government.
(27 Nov 09)"It's very worrying. Mona Sahlin will become prime minister the way things are looking now, without her letting anybody know where she wants to take Sweden and without [the opposition parties] having prepared any common policies" said Reinfeldt, speaking on the sidelines of a speaking engagement on Monday at Stockholm University. "I'm going to do all I can to avoid throwing Sweden into cold water," he added, before predicting that next year's election is likely to crystallize into a referendum on the opposing blocs' respective employment policies. A Sifo survey presented on Sunday put the three-party red-green opposition in an eleven point lead over the government. According to the poll, the Social Democrats, Green Party and Left Party enjoy the combined support of 52.2 percent of the electorate, compared to just 40.8 percent for the centre-right Alliance. A Statistics Sweden poll published last week also indicated that Mona Sahlin and her allies would enjoy enough support to form a government were an election to be held today. Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin said she did not wish to set too much stock in opinion polls released nine months before the election, but she expressed pleasure that the red-green alliance was beginning to gain momentum. "I think it's partly down to the distinctiveness of the red-greens. It was all very unfamiliar at the beginning, prefaced by quite a difficult start. Now we have presented ourselves, established ourselves and have delivered quite a lot of common policies. That's something voters are increasingly seeing, and trusting, and appreciating," said Sahlin. "But then there's also the debates about unemployment insurance, tax on pensioners and social insurance that are hitting the government hard. Their politics have always looked like this but it's now that they're being revealed," she added. Reinfeldt said he believed his own protracted absences while on EU presidency duty may have had some bearing on the poor poll results. The Prime Minister also believed criticism surrounding widespread changes to Sweden's sickness benefits system may have impacted negatively on the government's rating. But Reinfeldt added that the Social Democrats' own policies didn't differ substantially from those of the government. "Basically they don't have any other proposals. They use information from the media and make a lot of noise because they think it will boost their support."Reinfeldt noted that top Social Democrats who had looked into the social insurance system had reached the same conclusion as the Moderate-led government: that it was not sustainable for Sweden to have the highest rate of sick leave in Europe. "[Former Social Democrat prime minister] Göran Persson used to travel around in Europe boasting that we didn't have any unemployment," said Reinfeldt, who accused his predecessor's policies of leading to a situation in which the social insurance system was used as a buffer behind which to hide jobless figures. "People received a stamp on their forehead to the effect that their working days were over," said Reinfeldt, adding that the Moderate Party did not believe in pushing people into early retirement programmes simply because they had an existential crisis at the age of 32. His party had faith in the power of the individual to bounce back, said Reinfeldt
Published: 14 Dec 09 14:39 CETOnline: http://www.thelocal.se/23838/20091214/
Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has admitted he is concerned by poll results showing the opposition in a commanding lead over the centre-right coalition government.
(27 Nov 09)"It's very worrying. Mona Sahlin will become prime minister the way things are looking now, without her letting anybody know where she wants to take Sweden and without [the opposition parties] having prepared any common policies" said Reinfeldt, speaking on the sidelines of a speaking engagement on Monday at Stockholm University. "I'm going to do all I can to avoid throwing Sweden into cold water," he added, before predicting that next year's election is likely to crystallize into a referendum on the opposing blocs' respective employment policies. A Sifo survey presented on Sunday put the three-party red-green opposition in an eleven point lead over the government. According to the poll, the Social Democrats, Green Party and Left Party enjoy the combined support of 52.2 percent of the electorate, compared to just 40.8 percent for the centre-right Alliance. A Statistics Sweden poll published last week also indicated that Mona Sahlin and her allies would enjoy enough support to form a government were an election to be held today. Social Democrat leader Mona Sahlin said she did not wish to set too much stock in opinion polls released nine months before the election, but she expressed pleasure that the red-green alliance was beginning to gain momentum. "I think it's partly down to the distinctiveness of the red-greens. It was all very unfamiliar at the beginning, prefaced by quite a difficult start. Now we have presented ourselves, established ourselves and have delivered quite a lot of common policies. That's something voters are increasingly seeing, and trusting, and appreciating," said Sahlin. "But then there's also the debates about unemployment insurance, tax on pensioners and social insurance that are hitting the government hard. Their politics have always looked like this but it's now that they're being revealed," she added. Reinfeldt said he believed his own protracted absences while on EU presidency duty may have had some bearing on the poor poll results. The Prime Minister also believed criticism surrounding widespread changes to Sweden's sickness benefits system may have impacted negatively on the government's rating. But Reinfeldt added that the Social Democrats' own policies didn't differ substantially from those of the government. "Basically they don't have any other proposals. They use information from the media and make a lot of noise because they think it will boost their support."Reinfeldt noted that top Social Democrats who had looked into the social insurance system had reached the same conclusion as the Moderate-led government: that it was not sustainable for Sweden to have the highest rate of sick leave in Europe. "[Former Social Democrat prime minister] Göran Persson used to travel around in Europe boasting that we didn't have any unemployment," said Reinfeldt, who accused his predecessor's policies of leading to a situation in which the social insurance system was used as a buffer behind which to hide jobless figures. "People received a stamp on their forehead to the effect that their working days were over," said Reinfeldt, adding that the Moderate Party did not believe in pushing people into early retirement programmes simply because they had an existential crisis at the age of 32. His party had faith in the power of the individual to bounce back, said Reinfeldt
Sunday, December 13, 2009
what a bad Provincial Party Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta!.
Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta
Wildrose Alliance
Active Provincial Party
Leader
Danielle Smith
President
Jeff Callaway
Founded
2008
Headquarters
#3, 1303 - 44 Ave NECalgary, ABT2E 6L5#401 Legislature Annex9718-107 StEdmonton, ABT5K 1E4
Ideology
ConservatismLibertarianism[1]
International affiliation
None
Official colours
Blue & Green
Website
http://www.wildrosealliance.ca
Politics of CanadaPolitical partiesElections
The Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta is a fiscally conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes both libertarian and socially conservative factions,[1] and has been led by the libertarian Danielle Smith since October 2009.[2]
Though it won no seats in the 2008 election, winning its only seat in the Legislative Assembly in a 2009 by-election, a November 2009 poll found the party leading province-wide with 39% support, 14 points ahead of both the governing Progressive Conservatives and opposition Liberals.[3]
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 Elections
2.1 2008
2.1.1 Election results
3 Leadership election 2009
4 Danielle Smith era
5 References
6 External links
//
[edit] History
The Wildrose Alliance was named after the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta Alliance Party. The new party was named for the flower Rosa acicularis commonly known as the Alberta Wild Rose, which grows in Alberta and other areas in North America. The Alliance portion of the name comes from the former Alberta Alliance Party that existed from 2002 to 2008.
The party was created by merger at a special convention on January 19, 2008. The Alberta Alliance Party changed its name to the "Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta", and accepted the members, assets and liabilities of the Wildrose Party.[4] By-laws were adopted that were substantially similar to those of the Wildrose Party, and a new executive committee was elected.
Alberta Alliance leader and Member of the Legislative Assembly Paul Hinman was selected by an agreement of the executive councils to lead the new party into the 27th Alberta general election.
On February 1, 2008, the President of the new party, Rob James, resigned.[5] John Hilton-O'Brien was selected to serve as interim President of the Party. Hilton-O'Brien was the Alberta Alliance candidate for Grande Prairie Wapiti in the 2004 election. He was elected to the party executive at the merger meeting.
At the Wildrose Alliance's first AGM on June 21, 2008 in Red Deer, Alberta, Jeff Callaway was elected president of the party. He ran un-contested again at the AGM on June 5 and 6 2009 in Calgary, Alberta and was re-elected as a result.
[edit] Elections
[edit] 2008
Main article: Alberta general election, 2008
The party kicked off its 2008 pre-writ election campaign with a tour of towns and small cities across Alberta.
The party ran on a platform of:
minimal taxes (raising the basic exemption to $20,000, eliminating health care premiums, reducing corporate taxes, and building the Alberta Heritage Trust Fund with the object of eventually being able to replace personal tax revenue with investment revenue)
smaller, efficient government (allowing governance and service delivery at the municipal and community level as much as possible, reducing government bureaucracy and unnecessary programs, and reducing government spending to a per capita rate comparable to other Canadian provinces)
free market economics (recognizing existing signed oil sands agreements, enacting a market-based royalty framework that protects the ability of energy companies to grow the Alberta economy, establishing a maximum royalty rate on a per well basis at no higher than 37%, and recognizing that higher royalties in the conventional sector are inappropriate if gas prices are below $7.50/mcf and oil is below $75/barrel)
democratic reform (establishing set election dates every four years, allowing for citizen initiatives via referendums, and enacting the right to recall elected officials)
reclaiming provincial responsibilities from Ottawa
[edit] Election results
On election night, Hinman lost his seat and no other Alliance candidate won a seat. The result in Hinman's riding was close and a recount was held which confirmed Hinman's loss to PC challenger Broyce Jacobs.[6] The Wildrose Alliance received 6.8% of the popular vote across the province, performing on par with the Green Party (4.6%) and the NDP (9.8%).
On election night the Alliance's website was attacked by five computer addresses which blitzed it 100,000 times in 24 hours, making the website difficult to access. The Liberals' website was also experiencing downtime from a possible attack.[7]
[edit] Leadership election 2009
For more details on this topic, see Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta leadership election, 2009.
On April 20, 2009, Paul Hinman announced his intent to step down as Wildrose Alliance leader at the 2009 Annual General Meeting on June 6, 2009 in Calgary, triggering the party's first leadership election under the Wildrose Alliance banner. On June 7, 2009, the party had attracted two candidates to the race, former Canadian Federation of Independent Business provincial director Danielle Smith and Calgary chiropractor Mark Dyrholm. On July 24, 2009, Jeff Willerton became the third candidate. Following the Calgary leadership debate on September 16, 2009, Willerton dropped out of the race.
On October 17, Danielle Smith was elected leader of the party, which subsequently shifted its focus to fundraising and selecting candidates for a future election.[8]
Although standing down as leader, Paul Hinman managed to win a by-election in Calgary-Glenmore, a Progressive Conservative riding for over 35 years,[8] in the midst of the party's leadership election. Hinman's election returned Wildrose to the legislature, and was said to have earned the party a shot of credibility.[8] The by-election result was arguably the first strong showing by the Alliance in an urban seat.
[edit] Danielle Smith era
After Smith was elected she appointed Stephen Carter as the party's first interim Chief of Staff.[9] On November 25, 2009 Carter resigned the position after it came to light in the public his business Carter McRae was collapsing financially.[10] He notified Smith and the party about the failure of his business interests before accepting the job.[11] Carter had been involved in a controversy over twitter a week earlier to which Premier Ed Stelmach's communication director Tom Olsen accused him of insulting Ukrainian heritage.[12]
Smith announced in her first month of leadership to set up a task force to develop a detailed energy policy for the party[13] and a second task force to independently determine elected Members wages and benefits.[14]
[edit] References
^ a b Andrew Steele (19 October 2009). "Safe change". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/safe-change/article1329485/.
^ "Wildrose party leader to run for Calgary seat". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 October 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/10/19/alberta-wildrose-alliance-smith-party-leader-calgary.html. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ "Poll gives Wildrose big lead". National Post. 2009-11-29. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2327477. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
^ Party website
^ "Wildrose President resigns". Calgary Herald. February 1, 2008. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=a8a2b04f-c7fc-4d12-8180-c3190f312512&k=21324/. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
^ http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3fd28602-4834-4d2a-8deb-16cbc2cd6015
^ Voter confusion, website controversies unsettles Alberta election
^ a b c "Smith elected Wildrose Party leader". CBC News. 2009-10-17. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/10/17/edmonton-wildrose-alliance-leader.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
^ Trish Audette (November 21, 2009). "140 characters = 1 day of bad press". Edmonton Journal. http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/electionnotebook/archive/2009/11/21/140-characters-1-day-of-bad-press.aspx.
^ Nathan VanderKlippe (November 24, 2009). "High-profile member of Wildrose party resigns". Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/high-profile-member-of-wildrose-party-resigns/article1376291/.
^ "Wildrose aide quits over Twitter post mocking Stelmach". National Post. November 25, 2009. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2265808.
^ "Tweet about premier a 'lapse in judgment'". CBC News. November 20, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/11/20/edmonton-carter-twitter-stelmach.html.
^ "Wildrose Alliance drafts two critics for energy task force". Calgary Herald. November 11, 2009. http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Wildrose+Alliance+drafts+critics+energy+task+force/2209807/story.html.
^ "Wildrose Alliance scrutinizes MLA pay". CBC News. November 19, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/11/19/edmonton-wildrose-alliance-mla-pay.html.
[edit] External links
Wildrose Alliance homepage
Wildrose Alliance
Active Provincial Party
Leader
Danielle Smith
President
Jeff Callaway
Founded
2008
Headquarters
#3, 1303 - 44 Ave NECalgary, ABT2E 6L5#401 Legislature Annex9718-107 StEdmonton, ABT5K 1E4
Ideology
ConservatismLibertarianism[1]
International affiliation
None
Official colours
Blue & Green
Website
http://www.wildrosealliance.ca
Politics of CanadaPolitical partiesElections
The Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta is a fiscally conservative provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. It includes both libertarian and socially conservative factions,[1] and has been led by the libertarian Danielle Smith since October 2009.[2]
Though it won no seats in the 2008 election, winning its only seat in the Legislative Assembly in a 2009 by-election, a November 2009 poll found the party leading province-wide with 39% support, 14 points ahead of both the governing Progressive Conservatives and opposition Liberals.[3]
Contents[hide]
1 History
2 Elections
2.1 2008
2.1.1 Election results
3 Leadership election 2009
4 Danielle Smith era
5 References
6 External links
//
[edit] History
The Wildrose Alliance was named after the Wildrose Party of Alberta and the Alberta Alliance Party. The new party was named for the flower Rosa acicularis commonly known as the Alberta Wild Rose, which grows in Alberta and other areas in North America. The Alliance portion of the name comes from the former Alberta Alliance Party that existed from 2002 to 2008.
The party was created by merger at a special convention on January 19, 2008. The Alberta Alliance Party changed its name to the "Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta", and accepted the members, assets and liabilities of the Wildrose Party.[4] By-laws were adopted that were substantially similar to those of the Wildrose Party, and a new executive committee was elected.
Alberta Alliance leader and Member of the Legislative Assembly Paul Hinman was selected by an agreement of the executive councils to lead the new party into the 27th Alberta general election.
On February 1, 2008, the President of the new party, Rob James, resigned.[5] John Hilton-O'Brien was selected to serve as interim President of the Party. Hilton-O'Brien was the Alberta Alliance candidate for Grande Prairie Wapiti in the 2004 election. He was elected to the party executive at the merger meeting.
At the Wildrose Alliance's first AGM on June 21, 2008 in Red Deer, Alberta, Jeff Callaway was elected president of the party. He ran un-contested again at the AGM on June 5 and 6 2009 in Calgary, Alberta and was re-elected as a result.
[edit] Elections
[edit] 2008
Main article: Alberta general election, 2008
The party kicked off its 2008 pre-writ election campaign with a tour of towns and small cities across Alberta.
The party ran on a platform of:
minimal taxes (raising the basic exemption to $20,000, eliminating health care premiums, reducing corporate taxes, and building the Alberta Heritage Trust Fund with the object of eventually being able to replace personal tax revenue with investment revenue)
smaller, efficient government (allowing governance and service delivery at the municipal and community level as much as possible, reducing government bureaucracy and unnecessary programs, and reducing government spending to a per capita rate comparable to other Canadian provinces)
free market economics (recognizing existing signed oil sands agreements, enacting a market-based royalty framework that protects the ability of energy companies to grow the Alberta economy, establishing a maximum royalty rate on a per well basis at no higher than 37%, and recognizing that higher royalties in the conventional sector are inappropriate if gas prices are below $7.50/mcf and oil is below $75/barrel)
democratic reform (establishing set election dates every four years, allowing for citizen initiatives via referendums, and enacting the right to recall elected officials)
reclaiming provincial responsibilities from Ottawa
[edit] Election results
On election night, Hinman lost his seat and no other Alliance candidate won a seat. The result in Hinman's riding was close and a recount was held which confirmed Hinman's loss to PC challenger Broyce Jacobs.[6] The Wildrose Alliance received 6.8% of the popular vote across the province, performing on par with the Green Party (4.6%) and the NDP (9.8%).
On election night the Alliance's website was attacked by five computer addresses which blitzed it 100,000 times in 24 hours, making the website difficult to access. The Liberals' website was also experiencing downtime from a possible attack.[7]
[edit] Leadership election 2009
For more details on this topic, see Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta leadership election, 2009.
On April 20, 2009, Paul Hinman announced his intent to step down as Wildrose Alliance leader at the 2009 Annual General Meeting on June 6, 2009 in Calgary, triggering the party's first leadership election under the Wildrose Alliance banner. On June 7, 2009, the party had attracted two candidates to the race, former Canadian Federation of Independent Business provincial director Danielle Smith and Calgary chiropractor Mark Dyrholm. On July 24, 2009, Jeff Willerton became the third candidate. Following the Calgary leadership debate on September 16, 2009, Willerton dropped out of the race.
On October 17, Danielle Smith was elected leader of the party, which subsequently shifted its focus to fundraising and selecting candidates for a future election.[8]
Although standing down as leader, Paul Hinman managed to win a by-election in Calgary-Glenmore, a Progressive Conservative riding for over 35 years,[8] in the midst of the party's leadership election. Hinman's election returned Wildrose to the legislature, and was said to have earned the party a shot of credibility.[8] The by-election result was arguably the first strong showing by the Alliance in an urban seat.
[edit] Danielle Smith era
After Smith was elected she appointed Stephen Carter as the party's first interim Chief of Staff.[9] On November 25, 2009 Carter resigned the position after it came to light in the public his business Carter McRae was collapsing financially.[10] He notified Smith and the party about the failure of his business interests before accepting the job.[11] Carter had been involved in a controversy over twitter a week earlier to which Premier Ed Stelmach's communication director Tom Olsen accused him of insulting Ukrainian heritage.[12]
Smith announced in her first month of leadership to set up a task force to develop a detailed energy policy for the party[13] and a second task force to independently determine elected Members wages and benefits.[14]
[edit] References
^ a b Andrew Steele (19 October 2009). "Safe change". The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/safe-change/article1329485/.
^ "Wildrose party leader to run for Calgary seat". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 October 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/10/19/alberta-wildrose-alliance-smith-party-leader-calgary.html. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
^ "Poll gives Wildrose big lead". National Post. 2009-11-29. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2327477. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
^ Party website
^ "Wildrose President resigns". Calgary Herald. February 1, 2008. http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=a8a2b04f-c7fc-4d12-8180-c3190f312512&k=21324/. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
^ http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3fd28602-4834-4d2a-8deb-16cbc2cd6015
^ Voter confusion, website controversies unsettles Alberta election
^ a b c "Smith elected Wildrose Party leader". CBC News. 2009-10-17. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/10/17/edmonton-wildrose-alliance-leader.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
^ Trish Audette (November 21, 2009). "140 characters = 1 day of bad press". Edmonton Journal. http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/electionnotebook/archive/2009/11/21/140-characters-1-day-of-bad-press.aspx.
^ Nathan VanderKlippe (November 24, 2009). "High-profile member of Wildrose party resigns". Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/high-profile-member-of-wildrose-party-resigns/article1376291/.
^ "Wildrose aide quits over Twitter post mocking Stelmach". National Post. November 25, 2009. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2265808.
^ "Tweet about premier a 'lapse in judgment'". CBC News. November 20, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/11/20/edmonton-carter-twitter-stelmach.html.
^ "Wildrose Alliance drafts two critics for energy task force". Calgary Herald. November 11, 2009. http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/Wildrose+Alliance+drafts+critics+energy+task+force/2209807/story.html.
^ "Wildrose Alliance scrutinizes MLA pay". CBC News. November 19, 2009. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/11/19/edmonton-wildrose-alliance-mla-pay.html.
[edit] External links
Wildrose Alliance homepage
Saturday, December 12, 2009
(SAD), or Seasonal Affective Disorder info 2009.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer,[1] spring or autumn, repeatedly, year after year. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), SAD is not a unique mood disorder, but is "a specifier of major depression".[2]
The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up."[3] The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety.[4] It has been estimated that 1.5-9% of adults in the US experience SAD.[5]
There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy with sunlight or bright lights, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, ionized-air administration,[6] and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin.[7]
Contents[hide]
1 Symptoms
2 Diagnostic criteria
3 Physiology
4 Origin
5 Treatment
6 Incidence
6.1 Nordic countries
6.2 Other countries
7 SAD and bipolar
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
//
[edit] Symptoms
Symptoms of SAD may consist of: difficulty waking up in the morning, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, and especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities. All of this leads to the depression, pessimism, and lack of pleasure which characterize a person suffering from this disorder.
People that experience Reverse SAD (spring and summer depression) show symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, irritability, decreased appetite, weight loss, and an increased sex drive.[4] RSAD can also manifest depression, which makes it difficult to diagnose this rare affliction.
[edit] Diagnostic criteria
According to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV,[8] criteria, Seasonal Affective disorder is not regarded as a separate disorder, but is called a 'course specifier' and may be applied as an added description to the pattern of Major Depressive Episodes in patients with Major Depressive Disorder or patients with Bipolar Disorder. The Seasonal Pattern Specifier must meet four criteria: depressive episodes at a particular time of the year; remissions or mania/hypomania also at a characteristic time of year; these patterns must have lasted two years with no nonseasonal major depressive episodes during that same period; and these seasonal depressive episodes outnumber other depressive episodes throughout the patient's lifetime. The Mayo Clinic[4] describes three types of Seasonal Affective Disorder, each with its own set of symptoms.
[edit] Physiology
Seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light. An argument for this view is the effectiveness of bright-light therapy.[9] SAD is measurably present at latitudes in the Arctic region, such as Finland (64º 00´N) where the rate of SAD is 9.5%[10] Cloud cover may contribute to the negative effects of SAD.[5]
The symptoms of SAD mimic those of dysthymia or clinical depression. There is also potential risk of suicide in some patients experiencing SAD. One study reports 6-35% of sufferers required hospitalization during one period of illness.[5] At times, patients may not feel depressed, but rather lack energy to perform everyday activities.[9]
Various proximate causes have been proposed. One possibility is that SAD is related to a lack of serotonin, and serotonin polymorphisms could play a role in SAD,[11] although this has been disputed.[12] Mice incapable of turning serotonin into N-acetylserotonin (by Serotonin N-acetyltransferase) appear to express "depression-like" behavior, and antidepressants such as fluoxetine increase the amount of the enzyme Serotonin N-acetyltransferase, resulting in an antidepressant-like effect.[13] Another theory is that the cause may be related to melatonin which is produced in dim light and darkness by the pineal gland, since there are direct connections, via the retinohypothalamic tract and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, between the retina and the pineal gland.
Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder is a milder form of SAD experienced by an estimated 14.3% vs. 6.1% of the U.S. population.[14] The blue feeling experienced by both SAD and SSAD sufferers can usually be dampened or extinguished by exercise and increased outdoor activity, particularly on sunny days, resulting in increased solar exposure.[15] Connections between human mood, as well as energy levels, and the seasons are well documented, even in healthy individuals.
Mutation of a gene expressing melanopsin has been implicated in the risk of having Seasonal Affective Disorder.[16]
[edit] Origin
In many species, activity is diminished during the winter months in response to the reduction in available food and the difficulties of surviving in cold weather. Hibernation is an extreme example, but even species that do not hibernate often exhibit changes in behavior during the winter. It has been argued that SAD is an evolved adaptation in humans that is a variant or remnant of a hibernation response in some remote ancestor. [17] Presumably, food was scarce during most of human prehistory, and a tendency toward low mood during the winter months would have been adaptive by reducing the need for calorie intake. The preponderance of women with SAD suggests that the response may also somehow regulate reproduction.[17]
If these interpretations are correct, SAD would not be a dysfunction or disorder as most psychiatrists assume, but rather a normal and expected response to seasonal changes.
[edit] Treatment
One type of light therapy lamp
There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including bright light therapy, medication, ionized-air administration, cognitive-behavioral therapy and carefully timed supplementation[18] of the hormone melatonin.
Photoperiod-related alterations of the duration of melatonin secretion may affect the seasonal mood cycles of SAD. This suggests that light therapy may be an effective treatment for SAD.[19] Bright light therapy often includes the use of a lightbox which emits far more lumens than a customary incandescent lamp. White light, or "full spectrum" light is usually preferred, although blue light is also used.[20]
Lightbox therapy is effective at doses of 2500–10,000 lux,[14] with the patient sitting a prescribed distance, commonly 30–60 cm, in front of the box with her/his eyes open but not staring at the light source.[10] Most treatments use 30–60 minute treatments, however this may vary depending on the situation. Many patients use the light box in the morning, and there is evidence that morning light is superior to evening light, although people can respond to evening light as well.[21] Discovering the best schedule is essential. One study has shown that up to 69% of patients find the treatment inconvenient and as many as 19% stop use because of this.[10]
Dawn simulation has also proven to be effective; in some studies, there is an 83% better response when compared to other bright light therapy.[10] When compared in a study to negative air ionization, bright light was proven to be 57.1% effective vs. dawn simulation, 49.5%.[6] Patients using light therapy can experience improvement during the first week, but increased results are evident when continued throughout several weeks.[10] Most studies have found it effective without use year round, but rather as a seasonal treatment lasting for several weeks until frequent light exposure is naturally obtained.[9]
Light therapy can also consist of exposure to sunlight, either in the form of spending more time outside [22], or using a computer-controlled mirror device called a heliostat to reflect sunlight into the windows of a home or office.[23][24]
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants have proven effective in treating SAD. Bupropion is also effective as a prophylactic.[5] Effective antidepressants are fluoxetine, sertraline, or paroxetine.[9][25] Both fluoxetine and light therapy are 67% effective in treating SAD according to direct head-to-head trials conducted during the 2006 CAN-SAD study.[26] Subjects using the light therapy protocol showed earlier clinical improvement, generally within one week of beginning the clinical treatment.[9]
Negative air ionization, which involves releasing charged particles into the sleep environment, has also been found effective with a 47.9% improvement if the negative ions are in sufficient density (quantity).[27][27][28][28][29][29] Depending upon the patient, one treatment (ie. lightbox) may be used in conjunction with another therapy (ie. medication).[9]
Modafinil may be also an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder/winter depression.[30]
Alfred J. Lewy of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OHSU, and others see the cause of SAD as a misalignment of the sleep-wake phase contra the period of the body clock, circadian rhythms out of synch, and treat it with melatonin in the afternoon. Correctly timed melatonin administration shifts the rhythms of several hormones en bloc.[31]
Another explanation is that vitamin D levels are too low when people do not get enough Ultraviolet-B on their skin. An alternative to using bright lights is to take vitamin D supplements.[32] [33] [34] [35] However, one study did not show a link between vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms in elderly Chinese.[36]
[edit] Incidence
[edit] Nordic countries
Winter depression is a common slump in the mood of some inhabitants of most of the Nordic countries. It was first described by the 6th century Goth scholar Jordanes in his Getica wherein he described the inhabitants of Scandza (Scandinavia).[37] Iceland, however, seems to be an exception. A study of more than 2000 people there found the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and seasonal changes in anxiety and depression to be unexpectedly low in both sexes.[38] The study's authors suggested that propensity for SAD may differ due to some genetic factor within the Icelandic population. A study of Canadians of wholly Icelandic descent also showed low levels of SAD.[39] It has more recently been suggested that this may be attributed to the large amount of fish traditionally eaten by Icelandic people, 225 lb per person per year as opposed to about 50 lb in the US and Canada, rather than to genetics.[40] Fish is high in vitamin D. Fish also contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which has been shown to help with a variety of neurological dysfunction.[41]
[edit] Other countries
In the United States, a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder was first proposed by Norman E. Rosenthal, MD in 1984. Rosenthal wondered why he became sluggish during the winter after moving from sunny South Africa to New York. He started experimenting increasing exposure to artificial light, and found this made a difference. In Alaska it has been established that there is a SAD rate of 8.9%, and an even greater rate of 24.9%[42] for subsyndromal SAD. American science fiction-fantasy author Barbara Hambly had undiagnosed SAD for many years and speaks freely about her condition.[43]
Around 20% of Irish people are affected by SAD, according to a survey conducted in 2007. The survey also shows women are more likely to be affected by SAD than men.[44] An estimated 10% of the population in the Netherlands suffers from SAD.[45]
[edit] SAD and bipolar
Most people with SAD experience major depressive disorder, but as many as 20% may have or may go on to develop a bipolar disorder, a manic-depressive disorder. It is important to discriminate the improved mood associated with recovery from the winter depression and a manic episode because there are important treatment differences.[46] In these cases, persons with SAD may experience depression during the winter and hypomania in the summer.
[edit] See also
Circadian rhythm sleep disorder
Depression (mood)
Social anxiety disorder
Vitamin D
[edit] References
^ Seasonal Depression can Accompany Summer Sun. Ivry, Sara. The New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2008
^ Lurie, Stephen J.; et al. (November 2006). "Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Family Physician (American Academy of Family Physicians) 74 (9): 1521–4. PMID 17111890. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20061101/1521.html. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
^ U.S. National Library of Medicine
^ a b c Seasonal Affective Disorder by Mayo Clinic
^ a b c d Modell, Jack; Rosenthal NE, Harriett AE, Krishen A, Asgharian A, Foster VJ, Metz A, Rockett CB, Wightman DS (2005). "Seasonal affective disorder and its prevention by anticipatory treatment with bupropion XL Biological Psychiatry". Biological psychiatry 58 (8): 658–667. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.07.021. PMID 16271314.
^ a b Terman, M.; Terman, J.S. (2006). "Controlled Trial of Naturalistic Dawn Simulation and Negative Air Ionization for Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163 (12): 2126–2133. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.12.2126. 17151164. PMID 17151164.
^ "Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms" (Science Update). National Institute of Mental Health. 2006-05-01. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2006/properly-timed-light-melatonin-lift-winter-depression-by-syncing-rhythms.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
^ Gabbard, Glen O. Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders (Third edition, Volume 2 ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 1296.
^ a b c d e f Lam, RW; Levitt AJ, Levitan RD, Enns MW, Morehouse R, Michalak EE, Tam EM (2006). "The Can-SAD Study: a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of light therapy and fluoxetine in patients with winter seasonal affective disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163 (5): 805–812. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.5.805. PMID 16648320.
^ a b c d e Avery, D H; Eder DN, Bolte MA, Hellekson CJ, Dunner DL, Vitiello MV, Prinz PN (2001). "Dawn simulation and bright light in the treatment of SAD: a controlled study". Biological Psychiatry 50 (3): 205–216. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01200-8. PMID 11513820.
^ Johansson, C; Smedh C, Partonen T, Pekkarinen P, Paunio T, Ekholm J, Peltonen L,Lichtermann D, Palmgren J, Adolfsson R, Schalling M (2001). "Seasonal affective disorder and serotonin-related polymorphisms". Neurobiology of Disease 8 (2): 351–357. doi:10.1006/nbdi.2000.0373. PMID 11300730.
^ Johansson, C; Willeit M, Levitan R, Partonen T, Smedh C, Del Favero J, Bel Kacem S, Praschak-Rieder N,Neumeister A, Masellis M, Basile V, Zill P, Bondy B, Paunio T, Kasper S, Van Broeckhoven C, Nilsson LG,Lam R, Schalling M, Adolfsson R. (2003). "The serotonin transporter promoter repeat length polymorphism, seasonal affective disorder and seasonality". Psychological Medicine 33 (5): 785–792. doi:10.1017/S0033291703007372. PMID 12877393.
^ Uz, T; Manev, H (2001). "Prolonged swim-test immobility of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT)-mutant mice". Journal of Pineal Research 30 (3): 166–170. doi:10.1034/j.1600-079X.2001.300305.x. PMID 11316327.
^ a b Avery, D. H.; Kizer D, Bolte MA, Hellekson C (2001). "Bright light therapy of subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder in the workplace: morning vs. afternoon exposure". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 103 (4): 267–274. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2001.00078.x. PMID 11328240.
^ Leppämäki, Sami; Haukka J, Lonnqvist J, Partonen T (2004). "Drop-out and mood improvement: a randomised controlled trial with light exposure and physical exercise". BMC Psychiatry 4 (22): 22. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-4-22. PMID 15306031.
^ "Breakthroughs tips and trends: November 7th - Times Online". www.timesonline.co.uk. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5106718.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
^ a b Nesse, Randolphe M; Williams, George C. Why We Get Sick (First ed.). New York: Vintage Books. pp. 290.
^ Bhattacharjee, Y (2007). "Psychiatric research. Is internal timing key to mental health?". Science (New York, N.Y.) 317 (5844): 1488–90. doi:10.1126/science.317.5844.1488. PMID 17872420. http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/academic/som/images/Al-Lewy-Science.pdf.
^ Howland, RH (2009). "Somatic therapies for seasonal affective disorder.". J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 47 (1): 17-20. PMID 19227105.
^ Strong, RE; Marchant, BK; Reimherr, FW; Williams, E; Soni, P; Mestas, R (2009). "Narrow-band blue-light treatment of seasonal affective disorder in adults and the influence of additional nonseasonal symptoms.". Depress Anxiety. 26 (3): 273-8. PMID 19016463. "BROKEN/DEAD LINK".
^ Tuunainen, Arja; Kripke, Daniel F; Endo, Takuro; Tuunainen, Arja (2004). Light therapy for non-seasonal depression. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004050.pub2.
^ Beck, Melinda. (December 1, 2009) "Bright Ideas for Treating the Winter Blues". (Section title: "Exercise outdoors") The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703300504574567881192085174.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular
^ "Applications: Health". Practical Solar. http://www.practicalsolar.com/applications.html. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
^ "Grab the Sun With Heliostats". New York House. 2009-06-01. http://www.newyorkhousemagazine.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home_main_top&id=2631630&widget=push&instance=home_green_future&article-Grab%20the%20Sun%20With%20Heliostats%20=&open=&. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
^ Moscovitch, A; Blashko CA, Eagles JM, Darcourt G, Thompson C, Kasper S, Lane RM (2004). "A placebo-controlled study of sertraline in the treatment of outpatients with seasonal affective disorder". Psychopharmacology 171 (4): 390–397. doi:10.1007/s00213-003-1594-8. PMID 14504682.
^ Lam, Raymond W.; Anthony J. Levitt, Robert D. Levitan, et al. (May 2006). "The Can-SAD Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Light Therapy and Fluoxetine in Patients With Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder" (PDF, full text). Am J Psychiatry 163 (163): 805–812. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.5.805. http://day-lights.com/light-therapy-news/downloads/can-sad-study-wp.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
^ a b Terman, M.; Terman, J. S. (2006). "Controlled Trial of Naturalistic Dawn Simulation and Negative Air Ionization for Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163: 2126. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.12.2126.
^ a b Terman, M. (1998). "A Controlled Trial of Timed Bright Light and Negative Air Ionization for Treatment of Winter Depression". Archives of General Psychiatry 55: 875. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.55.10.875 (inactive 2009-10-07).
^ a b Terman, M; Terman, JS (1995). "Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with a high-output negative ionizer.". Journal of alternative and complementary medicine 1 (1): 87–92. doi:10.1089/acm.1995.1.87. PMID 9395604.
^ Lundt, L (2004). "Modafinil treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder/winter depression: an open-label pilot study". Journal of Affective Disorders 81: 173. doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(03)00162-9.
^ Bhattacharjee, Y (2007). "Psychiatric research. Is internal timing key to mental health?". Science (New York, N.Y.) 317 (5844): 1488–90. doi:10.1126/science.317.5844.1488. PMID 17872420. http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/academic/som/images/Al-Lewy-Science.pdf.
^ http://newfoundlandnews.blogspot.com/2008/01/sadness-seasonal-affective-disorder.html
^ http://www.nowfoods.com/M092051.htm "Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Low Mood State and Lowered Intellectual Ability in Elderly" 2006
^ Lansdowne, AT; Provost, SC (1998). "Vitamin D3 enhances mood in healthy subjects during winter.". Psychopharmacology 135 (4): 319–23. doi:10.1007/s002130050517. PMID 9539254.
^ Gloth Fm, 3rd; Alam, W; Hollis, B (1999). "Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.". The journal of nutrition, health & aging 3 (1): 5–7. PMID 10888476.
^ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317142847.htm "Vitamin D May Not Be The Answer To Feeling SAD" Mar 2009
^ Jordanes, Getica, ed. Mommsen, Mon. Germanae historica, V, Berlin, 1882.
^ Magnusson, Andres; Axelsson, Johann; Karlsson, Mikael M.; Oskarsson, Högni (February 2000). "Lack of Seasonal Mood Change in the Icelandic Population: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study". Am J Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association) 157 (2): 234–238. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.157.2.234. PMID 10671392. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/2/234. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
^ sson A, Magnú Axelsson J (1993). "The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder is low among descendants of Icelandic emigrants in Canada". Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 50 (12): 947–51. PMID 8250680.
^ Cott, Jerry; Joseph R. Hibbeln (February 2001). "Lack of Seasonal Mood Change in Icelanders" (Letter to the Editor). Am J Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association) 158 (158): 328. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.158.2.328. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/158/2/328. Retrieved 2008-09-02. "Thus, high levels of fish consumption should be considered a potential etiology for the finding of a lack of seasonal affective disorder among the Icelandic population.".
^ Horrocks, LA; Yeo, YK (1999). "Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)". Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society 40 (3): 211–25. doi:10.1006/phrs.1999.0495. PMID 10479465.
^ Seasonal Affective Disorder and Latitude
^ [ http://www.andromedaspaceways.com/inter_0002.htm Andromeda Spaceways interview with Barbara Hambly, discusses SAD]
^ BreakingNews.ie - One in five suffers from SAD
^ Elsevier – Dark Days: Winter Depression (in Dutch, easy to translate to English with google translate (or anything like that)
^ "Depression" (PDF). Mood Disorders Society of Canada. http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/documents/Consumer%20and%20Family%20Support/Depression.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
[edit] External links
Seasonal Affective Disorder at the Open Directory Project
Seasonal Affective Disorder – The Basics on ScienceBlogsHia
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder"
The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up."[3] The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety.[4] It has been estimated that 1.5-9% of adults in the US experience SAD.[5]
There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy with sunlight or bright lights, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, ionized-air administration,[6] and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin.[7]
Contents[hide]
1 Symptoms
2 Diagnostic criteria
3 Physiology
4 Origin
5 Treatment
6 Incidence
6.1 Nordic countries
6.2 Other countries
7 SAD and bipolar
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
//
[edit] Symptoms
Symptoms of SAD may consist of: difficulty waking up in the morning, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, and especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities. All of this leads to the depression, pessimism, and lack of pleasure which characterize a person suffering from this disorder.
People that experience Reverse SAD (spring and summer depression) show symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, irritability, decreased appetite, weight loss, and an increased sex drive.[4] RSAD can also manifest depression, which makes it difficult to diagnose this rare affliction.
[edit] Diagnostic criteria
According to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV,[8] criteria, Seasonal Affective disorder is not regarded as a separate disorder, but is called a 'course specifier' and may be applied as an added description to the pattern of Major Depressive Episodes in patients with Major Depressive Disorder or patients with Bipolar Disorder. The Seasonal Pattern Specifier must meet four criteria: depressive episodes at a particular time of the year; remissions or mania/hypomania also at a characteristic time of year; these patterns must have lasted two years with no nonseasonal major depressive episodes during that same period; and these seasonal depressive episodes outnumber other depressive episodes throughout the patient's lifetime. The Mayo Clinic[4] describes three types of Seasonal Affective Disorder, each with its own set of symptoms.
[edit] Physiology
Seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light. An argument for this view is the effectiveness of bright-light therapy.[9] SAD is measurably present at latitudes in the Arctic region, such as Finland (64º 00´N) where the rate of SAD is 9.5%[10] Cloud cover may contribute to the negative effects of SAD.[5]
The symptoms of SAD mimic those of dysthymia or clinical depression. There is also potential risk of suicide in some patients experiencing SAD. One study reports 6-35% of sufferers required hospitalization during one period of illness.[5] At times, patients may not feel depressed, but rather lack energy to perform everyday activities.[9]
Various proximate causes have been proposed. One possibility is that SAD is related to a lack of serotonin, and serotonin polymorphisms could play a role in SAD,[11] although this has been disputed.[12] Mice incapable of turning serotonin into N-acetylserotonin (by Serotonin N-acetyltransferase) appear to express "depression-like" behavior, and antidepressants such as fluoxetine increase the amount of the enzyme Serotonin N-acetyltransferase, resulting in an antidepressant-like effect.[13] Another theory is that the cause may be related to melatonin which is produced in dim light and darkness by the pineal gland, since there are direct connections, via the retinohypothalamic tract and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, between the retina and the pineal gland.
Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder is a milder form of SAD experienced by an estimated 14.3% vs. 6.1% of the U.S. population.[14] The blue feeling experienced by both SAD and SSAD sufferers can usually be dampened or extinguished by exercise and increased outdoor activity, particularly on sunny days, resulting in increased solar exposure.[15] Connections between human mood, as well as energy levels, and the seasons are well documented, even in healthy individuals.
Mutation of a gene expressing melanopsin has been implicated in the risk of having Seasonal Affective Disorder.[16]
[edit] Origin
In many species, activity is diminished during the winter months in response to the reduction in available food and the difficulties of surviving in cold weather. Hibernation is an extreme example, but even species that do not hibernate often exhibit changes in behavior during the winter. It has been argued that SAD is an evolved adaptation in humans that is a variant or remnant of a hibernation response in some remote ancestor. [17] Presumably, food was scarce during most of human prehistory, and a tendency toward low mood during the winter months would have been adaptive by reducing the need for calorie intake. The preponderance of women with SAD suggests that the response may also somehow regulate reproduction.[17]
If these interpretations are correct, SAD would not be a dysfunction or disorder as most psychiatrists assume, but rather a normal and expected response to seasonal changes.
[edit] Treatment
One type of light therapy lamp
There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including bright light therapy, medication, ionized-air administration, cognitive-behavioral therapy and carefully timed supplementation[18] of the hormone melatonin.
Photoperiod-related alterations of the duration of melatonin secretion may affect the seasonal mood cycles of SAD. This suggests that light therapy may be an effective treatment for SAD.[19] Bright light therapy often includes the use of a lightbox which emits far more lumens than a customary incandescent lamp. White light, or "full spectrum" light is usually preferred, although blue light is also used.[20]
Lightbox therapy is effective at doses of 2500–10,000 lux,[14] with the patient sitting a prescribed distance, commonly 30–60 cm, in front of the box with her/his eyes open but not staring at the light source.[10] Most treatments use 30–60 minute treatments, however this may vary depending on the situation. Many patients use the light box in the morning, and there is evidence that morning light is superior to evening light, although people can respond to evening light as well.[21] Discovering the best schedule is essential. One study has shown that up to 69% of patients find the treatment inconvenient and as many as 19% stop use because of this.[10]
Dawn simulation has also proven to be effective; in some studies, there is an 83% better response when compared to other bright light therapy.[10] When compared in a study to negative air ionization, bright light was proven to be 57.1% effective vs. dawn simulation, 49.5%.[6] Patients using light therapy can experience improvement during the first week, but increased results are evident when continued throughout several weeks.[10] Most studies have found it effective without use year round, but rather as a seasonal treatment lasting for several weeks until frequent light exposure is naturally obtained.[9]
Light therapy can also consist of exposure to sunlight, either in the form of spending more time outside [22], or using a computer-controlled mirror device called a heliostat to reflect sunlight into the windows of a home or office.[23][24]
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants have proven effective in treating SAD. Bupropion is also effective as a prophylactic.[5] Effective antidepressants are fluoxetine, sertraline, or paroxetine.[9][25] Both fluoxetine and light therapy are 67% effective in treating SAD according to direct head-to-head trials conducted during the 2006 CAN-SAD study.[26] Subjects using the light therapy protocol showed earlier clinical improvement, generally within one week of beginning the clinical treatment.[9]
Negative air ionization, which involves releasing charged particles into the sleep environment, has also been found effective with a 47.9% improvement if the negative ions are in sufficient density (quantity).[27][27][28][28][29][29] Depending upon the patient, one treatment (ie. lightbox) may be used in conjunction with another therapy (ie. medication).[9]
Modafinil may be also an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder/winter depression.[30]
Alfred J. Lewy of Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OHSU, and others see the cause of SAD as a misalignment of the sleep-wake phase contra the period of the body clock, circadian rhythms out of synch, and treat it with melatonin in the afternoon. Correctly timed melatonin administration shifts the rhythms of several hormones en bloc.[31]
Another explanation is that vitamin D levels are too low when people do not get enough Ultraviolet-B on their skin. An alternative to using bright lights is to take vitamin D supplements.[32] [33] [34] [35] However, one study did not show a link between vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms in elderly Chinese.[36]
[edit] Incidence
[edit] Nordic countries
Winter depression is a common slump in the mood of some inhabitants of most of the Nordic countries. It was first described by the 6th century Goth scholar Jordanes in his Getica wherein he described the inhabitants of Scandza (Scandinavia).[37] Iceland, however, seems to be an exception. A study of more than 2000 people there found the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder and seasonal changes in anxiety and depression to be unexpectedly low in both sexes.[38] The study's authors suggested that propensity for SAD may differ due to some genetic factor within the Icelandic population. A study of Canadians of wholly Icelandic descent also showed low levels of SAD.[39] It has more recently been suggested that this may be attributed to the large amount of fish traditionally eaten by Icelandic people, 225 lb per person per year as opposed to about 50 lb in the US and Canada, rather than to genetics.[40] Fish is high in vitamin D. Fish also contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which has been shown to help with a variety of neurological dysfunction.[41]
[edit] Other countries
In the United States, a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder was first proposed by Norman E. Rosenthal, MD in 1984. Rosenthal wondered why he became sluggish during the winter after moving from sunny South Africa to New York. He started experimenting increasing exposure to artificial light, and found this made a difference. In Alaska it has been established that there is a SAD rate of 8.9%, and an even greater rate of 24.9%[42] for subsyndromal SAD. American science fiction-fantasy author Barbara Hambly had undiagnosed SAD for many years and speaks freely about her condition.[43]
Around 20% of Irish people are affected by SAD, according to a survey conducted in 2007. The survey also shows women are more likely to be affected by SAD than men.[44] An estimated 10% of the population in the Netherlands suffers from SAD.[45]
[edit] SAD and bipolar
Most people with SAD experience major depressive disorder, but as many as 20% may have or may go on to develop a bipolar disorder, a manic-depressive disorder. It is important to discriminate the improved mood associated with recovery from the winter depression and a manic episode because there are important treatment differences.[46] In these cases, persons with SAD may experience depression during the winter and hypomania in the summer.
[edit] See also
Circadian rhythm sleep disorder
Depression (mood)
Social anxiety disorder
Vitamin D
[edit] References
^ Seasonal Depression can Accompany Summer Sun. Ivry, Sara. The New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2008
^ Lurie, Stephen J.; et al. (November 2006). "Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Family Physician (American Academy of Family Physicians) 74 (9): 1521–4. PMID 17111890. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20061101/1521.html. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
^ U.S. National Library of Medicine
^ a b c Seasonal Affective Disorder by Mayo Clinic
^ a b c d Modell, Jack; Rosenthal NE, Harriett AE, Krishen A, Asgharian A, Foster VJ, Metz A, Rockett CB, Wightman DS (2005). "Seasonal affective disorder and its prevention by anticipatory treatment with bupropion XL Biological Psychiatry". Biological psychiatry 58 (8): 658–667. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.07.021. PMID 16271314.
^ a b Terman, M.; Terman, J.S. (2006). "Controlled Trial of Naturalistic Dawn Simulation and Negative Air Ionization for Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163 (12): 2126–2133. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.12.2126. 17151164. PMID 17151164.
^ "Properly Timed Light, Melatonin Lift Winter Depression by Syncing Rhythms" (Science Update). National Institute of Mental Health. 2006-05-01. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2006/properly-timed-light-melatonin-lift-winter-depression-by-syncing-rhythms.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
^ Gabbard, Glen O. Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders (Third edition, Volume 2 ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 1296.
^ a b c d e f Lam, RW; Levitt AJ, Levitan RD, Enns MW, Morehouse R, Michalak EE, Tam EM (2006). "The Can-SAD Study: a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of light therapy and fluoxetine in patients with winter seasonal affective disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163 (5): 805–812. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.5.805. PMID 16648320.
^ a b c d e Avery, D H; Eder DN, Bolte MA, Hellekson CJ, Dunner DL, Vitiello MV, Prinz PN (2001). "Dawn simulation and bright light in the treatment of SAD: a controlled study". Biological Psychiatry 50 (3): 205–216. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01200-8. PMID 11513820.
^ Johansson, C; Smedh C, Partonen T, Pekkarinen P, Paunio T, Ekholm J, Peltonen L,Lichtermann D, Palmgren J, Adolfsson R, Schalling M (2001). "Seasonal affective disorder and serotonin-related polymorphisms". Neurobiology of Disease 8 (2): 351–357. doi:10.1006/nbdi.2000.0373. PMID 11300730.
^ Johansson, C; Willeit M, Levitan R, Partonen T, Smedh C, Del Favero J, Bel Kacem S, Praschak-Rieder N,Neumeister A, Masellis M, Basile V, Zill P, Bondy B, Paunio T, Kasper S, Van Broeckhoven C, Nilsson LG,Lam R, Schalling M, Adolfsson R. (2003). "The serotonin transporter promoter repeat length polymorphism, seasonal affective disorder and seasonality". Psychological Medicine 33 (5): 785–792. doi:10.1017/S0033291703007372. PMID 12877393.
^ Uz, T; Manev, H (2001). "Prolonged swim-test immobility of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT)-mutant mice". Journal of Pineal Research 30 (3): 166–170. doi:10.1034/j.1600-079X.2001.300305.x. PMID 11316327.
^ a b Avery, D. H.; Kizer D, Bolte MA, Hellekson C (2001). "Bright light therapy of subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder in the workplace: morning vs. afternoon exposure". Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 103 (4): 267–274. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2001.00078.x. PMID 11328240.
^ Leppämäki, Sami; Haukka J, Lonnqvist J, Partonen T (2004). "Drop-out and mood improvement: a randomised controlled trial with light exposure and physical exercise". BMC Psychiatry 4 (22): 22. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-4-22. PMID 15306031.
^ "Breakthroughs tips and trends: November 7th - Times Online". www.timesonline.co.uk. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5106718.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
^ a b Nesse, Randolphe M; Williams, George C. Why We Get Sick (First ed.). New York: Vintage Books. pp. 290.
^ Bhattacharjee, Y (2007). "Psychiatric research. Is internal timing key to mental health?". Science (New York, N.Y.) 317 (5844): 1488–90. doi:10.1126/science.317.5844.1488. PMID 17872420. http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/academic/som/images/Al-Lewy-Science.pdf.
^ Howland, RH (2009). "Somatic therapies for seasonal affective disorder.". J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 47 (1): 17-20. PMID 19227105.
^ Strong, RE; Marchant, BK; Reimherr, FW; Williams, E; Soni, P; Mestas, R (2009). "Narrow-band blue-light treatment of seasonal affective disorder in adults and the influence of additional nonseasonal symptoms.". Depress Anxiety. 26 (3): 273-8. PMID 19016463. "BROKEN/DEAD LINK".
^ Tuunainen, Arja; Kripke, Daniel F; Endo, Takuro; Tuunainen, Arja (2004). Light therapy for non-seasonal depression. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004050.pub2.
^ Beck, Melinda. (December 1, 2009) "Bright Ideas for Treating the Winter Blues". (Section title: "Exercise outdoors") The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703300504574567881192085174.html?mod=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular
^ "Applications: Health". Practical Solar. http://www.practicalsolar.com/applications.html. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
^ "Grab the Sun With Heliostats". New York House. 2009-06-01. http://www.newyorkhousemagazine.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home_main_top&id=2631630&widget=push&instance=home_green_future&article-Grab%20the%20Sun%20With%20Heliostats%20=&open=&. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
^ Moscovitch, A; Blashko CA, Eagles JM, Darcourt G, Thompson C, Kasper S, Lane RM (2004). "A placebo-controlled study of sertraline in the treatment of outpatients with seasonal affective disorder". Psychopharmacology 171 (4): 390–397. doi:10.1007/s00213-003-1594-8. PMID 14504682.
^ Lam, Raymond W.; Anthony J. Levitt, Robert D. Levitan, et al. (May 2006). "The Can-SAD Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Light Therapy and Fluoxetine in Patients With Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder" (PDF, full text). Am J Psychiatry 163 (163): 805–812. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.5.805. http://day-lights.com/light-therapy-news/downloads/can-sad-study-wp.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
^ a b Terman, M.; Terman, J. S. (2006). "Controlled Trial of Naturalistic Dawn Simulation and Negative Air Ionization for Seasonal Affective Disorder". American Journal of Psychiatry 163: 2126. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.163.12.2126.
^ a b Terman, M. (1998). "A Controlled Trial of Timed Bright Light and Negative Air Ionization for Treatment of Winter Depression". Archives of General Psychiatry 55: 875. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.55.10.875 (inactive 2009-10-07).
^ a b Terman, M; Terman, JS (1995). "Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with a high-output negative ionizer.". Journal of alternative and complementary medicine 1 (1): 87–92. doi:10.1089/acm.1995.1.87. PMID 9395604.
^ Lundt, L (2004). "Modafinil treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder/winter depression: an open-label pilot study". Journal of Affective Disorders 81: 173. doi:10.1016/S0165-0327(03)00162-9.
^ Bhattacharjee, Y (2007). "Psychiatric research. Is internal timing key to mental health?". Science (New York, N.Y.) 317 (5844): 1488–90. doi:10.1126/science.317.5844.1488. PMID 17872420. http://www.ohsu.edu/ohsuedu/academic/som/images/Al-Lewy-Science.pdf.
^ http://newfoundlandnews.blogspot.com/2008/01/sadness-seasonal-affective-disorder.html
^ http://www.nowfoods.com/M092051.htm "Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Low Mood State and Lowered Intellectual Ability in Elderly" 2006
^ Lansdowne, AT; Provost, SC (1998). "Vitamin D3 enhances mood in healthy subjects during winter.". Psychopharmacology 135 (4): 319–23. doi:10.1007/s002130050517. PMID 9539254.
^ Gloth Fm, 3rd; Alam, W; Hollis, B (1999). "Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder.". The journal of nutrition, health & aging 3 (1): 5–7. PMID 10888476.
^ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317142847.htm "Vitamin D May Not Be The Answer To Feeling SAD" Mar 2009
^ Jordanes, Getica, ed. Mommsen, Mon. Germanae historica, V, Berlin, 1882.
^ Magnusson, Andres; Axelsson, Johann; Karlsson, Mikael M.; Oskarsson, Högni (February 2000). "Lack of Seasonal Mood Change in the Icelandic Population: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study". Am J Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association) 157 (2): 234–238. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.157.2.234. PMID 10671392. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/157/2/234. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
^ sson A, Magnú Axelsson J (1993). "The prevalence of seasonal affective disorder is low among descendants of Icelandic emigrants in Canada". Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 50 (12): 947–51. PMID 8250680.
^ Cott, Jerry; Joseph R. Hibbeln (February 2001). "Lack of Seasonal Mood Change in Icelanders" (Letter to the Editor). Am J Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association) 158 (158): 328. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.158.2.328. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/158/2/328. Retrieved 2008-09-02. "Thus, high levels of fish consumption should be considered a potential etiology for the finding of a lack of seasonal affective disorder among the Icelandic population.".
^ Horrocks, LA; Yeo, YK (1999). "Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)". Pharmacological research : the official journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society 40 (3): 211–25. doi:10.1006/phrs.1999.0495. PMID 10479465.
^ Seasonal Affective Disorder and Latitude
^ [ http://www.andromedaspaceways.com/inter_0002.htm Andromeda Spaceways interview with Barbara Hambly, discusses SAD]
^ BreakingNews.ie - One in five suffers from SAD
^ Elsevier – Dark Days: Winter Depression (in Dutch, easy to translate to English with google translate (or anything like that)
^ "Depression" (PDF). Mood Disorders Society of Canada. http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/documents/Consumer%20and%20Family%20Support/Depression.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
[edit] External links
Seasonal Affective Disorder at the Open Directory Project
Seasonal Affective Disorder – The Basics on ScienceBlogsHia
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder"
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thank you Kady O'Malley!
UPDATED: A Tale of Two Document Dumps
December 7, 2009 10:45 AM Comments26Recommend27
By Kady O'Malley
Last Wednesday, those of us who are following the simmering controversy over Canada's past policies and practices in the handling of Afghan detainees were confronted by competing sets of previously unreleased documents from the government, and the Amnesty International/British Columbia Civil Liberties Association legal teams, respectively.
At first glance, it seemed that the two files were virtually identical, but a more thorough investigation revealed that the PDF posted by the BCCLA contained considerably more material than the one provided to the committee. Not all of it is directly relevant to the detainee controversy; there are memos from Richard Colvin on the challenges facing the Afghan National Police, as well as heavily-censored reports on the progress being made in Kandahar and throughout Afghanistan. Some of it, however, is: the flurry of email sparked by the Globe series, discussion on the need to improve the existing detainee transfer agreement, as well as other options, including taking fewer prisoners, or establishing a NATO-run holding facility, and even an exchange between Colvin and various military and foreign affairs officials on the protocol for handling minors.
So, why didn't any of that material make it into the binders that the government finally grudgingly handed over to the committee?
Because they didn't ask for it, that's why.
According to the minutes from the November 25 meeting, the committee requested that the government produce the following material:
All documents referred to in the Affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
All documents within the Department of Foreign Affairs written in response to the documents referred to in the Affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
All memoranda for information or memoranda for decision sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning detainees from December 18, 2005 to the present;
All documents produced pursuant to the orders of the Federal Court in Amnesty International and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces, Minister of National Defence and Attorney General of Canada;
All documents produced to the Military Police Complaints Commission in the Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings;
All annual human rights reports by the Department of Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan.
A subsequent motion added a deadline -- December 2, the date of the next scheduled meeting -- for the first item on the list, and when it rolled around, that's exactly what the government delivered: a binder containing every document referred to in the Colvin affidavit, and not one heavily redacted page more. Although the material released last week by Amnesty would, in theory, be covered by the request for documents produced in federal court, the committee neglected to set a date for that particular item, which is almost certainly why it hasn't yet been produced, and likely won't be until they tack on a deadline, and with just one meeting left before the House rises for the holidays, it seems unlikely that the committee will get their collective hands on the additional documents until February at the earliest.
What are they missing? Here's the full list of material found in the Amnesty file, but not the committee binder -- complete with page numbers, to make it easier to find.
UPDATE: You can now access the pages in smaller, more bite-sized PDF format.
Pages 5-9: September 9th 2006 email/report re KGBR0101/GSRP which references visit by then-defence minister O'Connor; also includes almost entirely blacked out summary of roundtable, as well as meeting between minister and Afghan officials, including Karzai - who "showed himself in strong form" and Afghan defence minister. Only bits left unblacked out involve praise for the work of Canadian soldiers.
Pages 14-20: October 15th email/report drafted by COLVIN re KGBRs 0125,0126 and 0104 on discussions with Afghan officials on the state of the Afghan National Police, which "remain largely unreconstructed." Details of the challenges facing the ANP, who "often end up as de facto first responders" including the statement that "in the south, the unhappy combination of high risk and low salary offer little incentive for a policeman" -- short blacked out bit here -- "As a result, in insurgent-heavy provinces such as Kandahar, many districts are believed to have very few police [CENSORED]." Also some heavily censored references to having had to isuse a "clarification" to the Police Act, which had been used by "some governors [LONGISH CENSORED BIT HERE]to assert control over the police within their province."
Pages 21-26: November 18th email drafted by COLVIN and SPROULE on FTAG0058 "on performance of 1 Nov 2006 international organizations in Afghanistan" and KANDH0070 of 13th November on [CENSORED]".Includes assessment of UNAMA staff in Kabul and field offices (noteably former Canadian ambassador turned Conservative candidate in waiting Chris Alexander, who is described as "a dynamic, high-profile and impressive personality, and one of the best connected internationalists in Afghanistan." Entire section on "Human Rights, Governance/Rule of Law/Corruption" blacked out. Also redacted in its entirety is the section on UNAMA's Kandahar office. One almost entirely censored section: "[CENSORED], who brings considerable institutional memory -- said that [FOUR LINES CENSORED]." The next point begins, "On the positive side [...]"
Pages 30-33: January 23, 2007 email drafted by COLVIN - KBGR0183 - Afghanistan: PAG - [CENSORED]. Discusses how the "Policy Action Group heard an exceptionally upbeat presentation [CENSORED]" on 20 January; Afghan participants included Afghan defence minister Abdurl Wardak, NDS security head Amrullah Saleh and "the deputy ministers of the interior, education and information" - also present were ambassadors and "equivalents" from the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, and, among others, Chris Alexander. At one point, someone "congratulated Saleh and Warda on GoA's accomplishments," followed by approximately twenty lines of blacked out text.
Pages 34-37: February 4, 2007 email/report drafted by COLVIN - KBGR0187 on "the Taliban spring offensive, ISAF, intelligence and Pakistan," which is, not surprisingly, almost entirely blacked out.
Pages 38-39: almost entirely redacted February 26 email from Colvin to Scott Proudfoot, among others, with the subject blacked out and this note: "KANDH: For Buchan and Fudge only"
Pages 40-44: KBGR0232, largely blacked-out report drafted by COLVIN on "Glyn Berry investigation, Meetings with [CENSORED]" Among the non-censored portions is an explanation of the difference between an NDS and a police investigation -- in this case, into the bombing that killed Berry -- and the NDS and criminal court system, which is almost entirely redacted.
Pages 45: April 14, 2007 email from "Marvin" (no last name given)RE: Upcoming Globe & Mail story on alleged NDS torture of detainees in Kandahar" that appears to be entirely unredacted, and in which Martin tells "Richard" that he spoke to "the media folks about this a few days ago," who told him that "the comms group under DMA had been informed and "are very much on the ball." It includes a forwarded email from Colvin alerting Elissa Goldberg, David Mulroney and others that Graeme Smith had told "us" that he had been conducting "extensive examinations in Kandahar" over the preceding two weeks into "the alleged torture of detainees by the National Directorate of Security ... including detainees transferred to NDS by Cdn forces." It quotes Smith as saying that some of the stories "are really terrible" and that "some of the Canadian involvement is too close for comfort."
Page 46: April 18, 2007 email drafted by COLVIN on "UNAMA in southern Afghanistan; Prospects for Afghanistan" that is almost completely blacked out
Page 52: April 23 email from COLVIN to RON HOFFMAN, cc'd to PROUDFOOT, on "Suggestions to address the detainee problem" with the designation "LDN: For Lalani" provides three recommendations, including "Canadian Forces, [CENSORED] approach, to take fewer detainees" and "Amend MOU (if political circumstances allow) to allow for Cdn followup monitoring," with some explanation of how that could be done. It concludes: "In our assessment, direct engagement by Cda is needed on this issue a) to respond, and be seen to respond, to concerns by the Cdn public and media, and [CENSORED}."
Page 53: April 23 email from COLVIN to Proudfood, Mulroney, COLLEEN SWORDS and others, under the subject "Re: Detainees: Urgent Demarche", reporting on his discussion with Ahmad Zia Langari, one of nine commissioners at the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, to whom he delivered "the five bullets below." Langari told him that the commission "has faced problems of access to NDS facilities," and, as such, "is unable to monitor the condition of detainees, as per their agreements with the Canadians, Dutch and others" and has raised the issue "about 9 days ago with President Karzai," but the "access problem has not gone away." He notes that he has had a request in to meet with Saleh -- the head of NDS -- since April 17th on detainee handling issues and Glyn Berry," and is "awaiting confirmation of the appointment."
Pages 55-61: April 24, 2007 email from SWORDS of a fwded report from COLVIN, on which she is "copying BNATO on this msg as coordination with NATO is important aspect of how we deal with detainees as we move forward," and asking that "we automatically put them on distr detainee msgs so we can best integrate that angle." In the fwded email, Colvin discusses his request for an "urgent meeting with NDS," and suggests that they might also be able to meet with Karzai's chief of staff, "and possibly also Karzai himself." It also includes the full text of the April 24, 2007 Globe and Mail articles.
Page 64: KBGR0266, April 25, 2007 email from COLVIN to Mulroney, Swords, Buck and many others, in which he recommends that Canada, "for reasons of our own national interest, establish -- and announce that we are establishing -- a Canadian capacity to monitor, in both Kandahar and Kabul, the treatment of Afghan detainees following their transfer to Government of Afghanistan (GoA) control," as well as an attempt to limit the number of Afghans detained by Cdn forces and "handed to GoA," noting that "detainee methodologies in the field are too expansive, resulting in the detention of a significant number of Afghans who are not/not insurgents or combatants [CENSORED]"
Page 65: Aprul 25, 2007 email from COLVIN re: "Allied detention faciltiies," in which he notes that "[CENSORED] confirms they have never had bilateral discussions with [CENSORED] on a detention facility, which also includes a fwd of his own heavily redacted email to LAPORTE on the same topic. It notes that the UK, Canada and Belgium "have paid for the renovation of a wing of Pol-Charki for high-value CN prisoners," but that although it is complete,"because no high-value CN targets have been taken, it has not been operationalized."
Pages 106-107: KBGR0295 June 26, 2007 email from COLVIN on Senlis Council CEO Norine MacDnald "regarding the closure by the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) of Senlis's offices in Afghanistan," in which the lengthy background section is almost completely blacked out.
Page 108: June 30, 2007 email from "GAVIN" to COLVIN on "A question on the transfer of Minors," in which KEVIN REX notes that "the Commander has asked for "a ruling from DFAIT" on this one;" the writer acknowledges that "this is obviously not my forte," but says that he believes "we simply transder everyone to the NDS. I am not aware of any specific arrangements made for minors," nor can be find reference in the SOPS and MOU. Gavin tells Kevin to ask ELISSA GOLBERG, "with a c.c. to GHH (and FTAG, of course)" but nots tes that his "own two cents is that if we are clearly dealing with a minor, we should respect whatever Afhan law dictates in terms of institutions of detention," and if "that means transferring direct to Sarpoza and not to NDS, that's do-able -- logistically challenging, of course, but not impossible."
Page 111: July 4, 2007 email from COLVIN on "NDS facility in Kabul, Proposal for a Canadian renovation project" -- which, from the contents, seems to have been a request from NDS director Saleh whether Canada "would be interested in modernizing, rebuilding and expanding" the Sederat NDS facility in Kabul. It notes that, during interviews with prisoners, "none complained of abuse" but did speak of "poor living conditions," and notes that, although "an unorthodox project, we do not see any significant communications risks."
Pages 115-117: July 27, 2009 KBGR0306 - "Police update: EU police mission and MoI reform," almost entirely redacted, but does include recent developments in police recruitment, and "the future of the International Police Coordination Board."
Pages 121-125: October 24, 2007 - Colvin's unsent end-of-posting observations
December 7, 2009 10:45 AM Comments26Recommend27
By Kady O'Malley
Last Wednesday, those of us who are following the simmering controversy over Canada's past policies and practices in the handling of Afghan detainees were confronted by competing sets of previously unreleased documents from the government, and the Amnesty International/British Columbia Civil Liberties Association legal teams, respectively.
At first glance, it seemed that the two files were virtually identical, but a more thorough investigation revealed that the PDF posted by the BCCLA contained considerably more material than the one provided to the committee. Not all of it is directly relevant to the detainee controversy; there are memos from Richard Colvin on the challenges facing the Afghan National Police, as well as heavily-censored reports on the progress being made in Kandahar and throughout Afghanistan. Some of it, however, is: the flurry of email sparked by the Globe series, discussion on the need to improve the existing detainee transfer agreement, as well as other options, including taking fewer prisoners, or establishing a NATO-run holding facility, and even an exchange between Colvin and various military and foreign affairs officials on the protocol for handling minors.
So, why didn't any of that material make it into the binders that the government finally grudgingly handed over to the committee?
Because they didn't ask for it, that's why.
According to the minutes from the November 25 meeting, the committee requested that the government produce the following material:
All documents referred to in the Affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
All documents within the Department of Foreign Affairs written in response to the documents referred to in the Affidavit of Richard Colvin, dated October 5, 2009;
All memoranda for information or memoranda for decision sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning detainees from December 18, 2005 to the present;
All documents produced pursuant to the orders of the Federal Court in Amnesty International and British Columbia Civil Liberties Association v. Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces, Minister of National Defence and Attorney General of Canada;
All documents produced to the Military Police Complaints Commission in the Afghanistan Public Interest Hearings;
All annual human rights reports by the Department of Foreign Affairs on Afghanistan.
A subsequent motion added a deadline -- December 2, the date of the next scheduled meeting -- for the first item on the list, and when it rolled around, that's exactly what the government delivered: a binder containing every document referred to in the Colvin affidavit, and not one heavily redacted page more. Although the material released last week by Amnesty would, in theory, be covered by the request for documents produced in federal court, the committee neglected to set a date for that particular item, which is almost certainly why it hasn't yet been produced, and likely won't be until they tack on a deadline, and with just one meeting left before the House rises for the holidays, it seems unlikely that the committee will get their collective hands on the additional documents until February at the earliest.
What are they missing? Here's the full list of material found in the Amnesty file, but not the committee binder -- complete with page numbers, to make it easier to find.
UPDATE: You can now access the pages in smaller, more bite-sized PDF format.
Pages 5-9: September 9th 2006 email/report re KGBR0101/GSRP which references visit by then-defence minister O'Connor; also includes almost entirely blacked out summary of roundtable, as well as meeting between minister and Afghan officials, including Karzai - who "showed himself in strong form" and Afghan defence minister. Only bits left unblacked out involve praise for the work of Canadian soldiers.
Pages 14-20: October 15th email/report drafted by COLVIN re KGBRs 0125,0126 and 0104 on discussions with Afghan officials on the state of the Afghan National Police, which "remain largely unreconstructed." Details of the challenges facing the ANP, who "often end up as de facto first responders" including the statement that "in the south, the unhappy combination of high risk and low salary offer little incentive for a policeman" -- short blacked out bit here -- "As a result, in insurgent-heavy provinces such as Kandahar, many districts are believed to have very few police [CENSORED]." Also some heavily censored references to having had to isuse a "clarification" to the Police Act, which had been used by "some governors [LONGISH CENSORED BIT HERE]to assert control over the police within their province."
Pages 21-26: November 18th email drafted by COLVIN and SPROULE on FTAG0058 "on performance of 1 Nov 2006 international organizations in Afghanistan" and KANDH0070 of 13th November on [CENSORED]".Includes assessment of UNAMA staff in Kabul and field offices (noteably former Canadian ambassador turned Conservative candidate in waiting Chris Alexander, who is described as "a dynamic, high-profile and impressive personality, and one of the best connected internationalists in Afghanistan." Entire section on "Human Rights, Governance/Rule of Law/Corruption" blacked out. Also redacted in its entirety is the section on UNAMA's Kandahar office. One almost entirely censored section: "[CENSORED], who brings considerable institutional memory -- said that [FOUR LINES CENSORED]." The next point begins, "On the positive side [...]"
Pages 30-33: January 23, 2007 email drafted by COLVIN - KBGR0183 - Afghanistan: PAG - [CENSORED]. Discusses how the "Policy Action Group heard an exceptionally upbeat presentation [CENSORED]" on 20 January; Afghan participants included Afghan defence minister Abdurl Wardak, NDS security head Amrullah Saleh and "the deputy ministers of the interior, education and information" - also present were ambassadors and "equivalents" from the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, and, among others, Chris Alexander. At one point, someone "congratulated Saleh and Warda on GoA's accomplishments," followed by approximately twenty lines of blacked out text.
Pages 34-37: February 4, 2007 email/report drafted by COLVIN - KBGR0187 on "the Taliban spring offensive, ISAF, intelligence and Pakistan," which is, not surprisingly, almost entirely blacked out.
Pages 38-39: almost entirely redacted February 26 email from Colvin to Scott Proudfoot, among others, with the subject blacked out and this note: "KANDH: For Buchan and Fudge only"
Pages 40-44: KBGR0232, largely blacked-out report drafted by COLVIN on "Glyn Berry investigation, Meetings with [CENSORED]" Among the non-censored portions is an explanation of the difference between an NDS and a police investigation -- in this case, into the bombing that killed Berry -- and the NDS and criminal court system, which is almost entirely redacted.
Pages 45: April 14, 2007 email from "Marvin" (no last name given)RE: Upcoming Globe & Mail story on alleged NDS torture of detainees in Kandahar" that appears to be entirely unredacted, and in which Martin tells "Richard" that he spoke to "the media folks about this a few days ago," who told him that "the comms group under DMA had been informed and "are very much on the ball." It includes a forwarded email from Colvin alerting Elissa Goldberg, David Mulroney and others that Graeme Smith had told "us" that he had been conducting "extensive examinations in Kandahar" over the preceding two weeks into "the alleged torture of detainees by the National Directorate of Security ... including detainees transferred to NDS by Cdn forces." It quotes Smith as saying that some of the stories "are really terrible" and that "some of the Canadian involvement is too close for comfort."
Page 46: April 18, 2007 email drafted by COLVIN on "UNAMA in southern Afghanistan; Prospects for Afghanistan" that is almost completely blacked out
Page 52: April 23 email from COLVIN to RON HOFFMAN, cc'd to PROUDFOOT, on "Suggestions to address the detainee problem" with the designation "LDN: For Lalani" provides three recommendations, including "Canadian Forces, [CENSORED] approach, to take fewer detainees" and "Amend MOU (if political circumstances allow) to allow for Cdn followup monitoring," with some explanation of how that could be done. It concludes: "In our assessment, direct engagement by Cda is needed on this issue a) to respond, and be seen to respond, to concerns by the Cdn public and media, and [CENSORED}."
Page 53: April 23 email from COLVIN to Proudfood, Mulroney, COLLEEN SWORDS and others, under the subject "Re: Detainees: Urgent Demarche", reporting on his discussion with Ahmad Zia Langari, one of nine commissioners at the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, to whom he delivered "the five bullets below." Langari told him that the commission "has faced problems of access to NDS facilities," and, as such, "is unable to monitor the condition of detainees, as per their agreements with the Canadians, Dutch and others" and has raised the issue "about 9 days ago with President Karzai," but the "access problem has not gone away." He notes that he has had a request in to meet with Saleh -- the head of NDS -- since April 17th on detainee handling issues and Glyn Berry," and is "awaiting confirmation of the appointment."
Pages 55-61: April 24, 2007 email from SWORDS of a fwded report from COLVIN, on which she is "copying BNATO on this msg as coordination with NATO is important aspect of how we deal with detainees as we move forward," and asking that "we automatically put them on distr detainee msgs so we can best integrate that angle." In the fwded email, Colvin discusses his request for an "urgent meeting with NDS," and suggests that they might also be able to meet with Karzai's chief of staff, "and possibly also Karzai himself." It also includes the full text of the April 24, 2007 Globe and Mail articles.
Page 64: KBGR0266, April 25, 2007 email from COLVIN to Mulroney, Swords, Buck and many others, in which he recommends that Canada, "for reasons of our own national interest, establish -- and announce that we are establishing -- a Canadian capacity to monitor, in both Kandahar and Kabul, the treatment of Afghan detainees following their transfer to Government of Afghanistan (GoA) control," as well as an attempt to limit the number of Afghans detained by Cdn forces and "handed to GoA," noting that "detainee methodologies in the field are too expansive, resulting in the detention of a significant number of Afghans who are not/not insurgents or combatants [CENSORED]"
Page 65: Aprul 25, 2007 email from COLVIN re: "Allied detention faciltiies," in which he notes that "[CENSORED] confirms they have never had bilateral discussions with [CENSORED] on a detention facility, which also includes a fwd of his own heavily redacted email to LAPORTE on the same topic. It notes that the UK, Canada and Belgium "have paid for the renovation of a wing of Pol-Charki for high-value CN prisoners," but that although it is complete,"because no high-value CN targets have been taken, it has not been operationalized."
Pages 106-107: KBGR0295 June 26, 2007 email from COLVIN on Senlis Council CEO Norine MacDnald "regarding the closure by the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) of Senlis's offices in Afghanistan," in which the lengthy background section is almost completely blacked out.
Page 108: June 30, 2007 email from "GAVIN" to COLVIN on "A question on the transfer of Minors," in which KEVIN REX notes that "the Commander has asked for "a ruling from DFAIT" on this one;" the writer acknowledges that "this is obviously not my forte," but says that he believes "we simply transder everyone to the NDS. I am not aware of any specific arrangements made for minors," nor can be find reference in the SOPS and MOU. Gavin tells Kevin to ask ELISSA GOLBERG, "with a c.c. to GHH (and FTAG, of course)" but nots tes that his "own two cents is that if we are clearly dealing with a minor, we should respect whatever Afhan law dictates in terms of institutions of detention," and if "that means transferring direct to Sarpoza and not to NDS, that's do-able -- logistically challenging, of course, but not impossible."
Page 111: July 4, 2007 email from COLVIN on "NDS facility in Kabul, Proposal for a Canadian renovation project" -- which, from the contents, seems to have been a request from NDS director Saleh whether Canada "would be interested in modernizing, rebuilding and expanding" the Sederat NDS facility in Kabul. It notes that, during interviews with prisoners, "none complained of abuse" but did speak of "poor living conditions," and notes that, although "an unorthodox project, we do not see any significant communications risks."
Pages 115-117: July 27, 2009 KBGR0306 - "Police update: EU police mission and MoI reform," almost entirely redacted, but does include recent developments in police recruitment, and "the future of the International Police Coordination Board."
Pages 121-125: October 24, 2007 - Colvin's unsent end-of-posting observations
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