Living in the shadow of rat mountain

Spare a thought for the residents of Rattenberg, a small picturesque village in the Austrian alps. Every year from November to February the imposing, and aptly named, Rat Mountain, prevents the sun from shining on the village. Originally the village was founded below the mountain to protect from marauders but now a marauder of a different kind, namely depression, is plaguing the villagers. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects nearly a quarter of the population and is forcing people to move to sunnier climes. To rub further salt into the wounds a village of the same size, just across the river, gets plenty of sunshine all year round.

Similarly, Sweden suffers from serious light deprivation during the winter months: even if the sun shines between November and February, it is so low in the sky that there is zero ultra-violet benefit. In Sweden it has been estimated that 20 % of the population suffer from SAD. Solutions to the problem include light therapy, psychotherapy and prescribed anti-depressants. But surely the best cure is to move – the condition is virtually unheard of in the tropics

Rattenberg’s solution is to set up a network of mirrors, which will reflect the sun’s light and bounce it around the mountain. Until it’s done there’s no way of knowing if it will bring residents back or whether it will cure SAD. However, evidence suggests that by far and away the most effective treatment for SAD (beside migrating) is light therapy so the residents of Rattenberg have every right to believe that the hefty price for this project is money well spent.

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