Tanning dependence linked to other addictive behaviors, new study finds
The study, recently published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology , surveyed 499 people who had previously sunbathed or used a tanning bed, and revealed that those who exhibited tanning dependence, also referred to as tanning addiction, were six times as likely to also be dependent on alcohol and three times as likely to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). "We hope our findings will help researches design interventions specifically targeted to help people who are tanning dependent and thus reduce skin cancers," said Brenda Cartmel, Ph.D., the paper's lead author and senior research scientist and lecturer in the school's Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology. The connections between tanning dependence and other disorders revealed by the study represent an opportunity for clinicians to address those related conditions. "People who are tanning dependent could also be assessed for SAD," said Cartmel. ...