People in parts of the world that adhere to daylight saving time face an increased risk to mental health, according to a new study published in a journal called Epidemiology.
Saskatchewan is the only full Canadian province that doesn’t transition from daylight saving time to standard time on Sunday.
READ MORE: 4 ways Daylight Saving Time affects your health, internal clock
The study found diagnoses of depression rise during the transition from daylight saving time to standard time. The number of cases at psychiatric hospitals was about eight per cent higher than in the days preceding the time change, based on data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register from 1995 to 2012.
Previous studies have shown appetite can be thrown out of sync, the risk of stroke rises and car crashes increase in the days after the time change.
A new study from JPMorgan Chase Institute also appears to dispel claims that daylight saving benefits the economy.
“The strongest advocates for the policy have been supporters of small businesses and retailers, like chambers of commerce and outdoor entertainment providers like the golf and barbecue industries,” the report reads.
READ MORE: Daylight Saving Time: Parents’ guide to surviving the time change
The authors found daily consumer spending on credit and debit cards increases by 0.9 per cent at the start of daylight saving time.
However, spending dropped by 3.5 per cent at the end of daylight saving time.
The study focused on a comparison of Los Angeles to Phoenix because Arizona doesn’t use daylight saving time.
According to the official time zone map from the Government of Canada, an area around Lloydminster does not adhere to daylight saving time.
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