Understanding Seasonal Depression And Mental Health
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also referred to as seasonal depression, is generally a type of depression that appears to be related to seasonal changes, often starting in the fall and continuing through the winter months. Although seasonal depression is widespread, symptoms can be challenging to diagnose and treat, and many individuals may not know precisely what they’re experiencing. This condition can occur when there is a lack of sunlight in the fall and winter months, but other factors can include genetics, age, latitude, and personal history. Seasonal depression can often be treated with light therapy, lifestyle changes, and online mental health services or in-person talk therapy, but how is SAD diagnosed? Learn more about winter-onset SAD and the depressive symptoms that may occur in this specific season with this common disorder.
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Start therapy to track your progressHow SAD Affects the Brain and Body
Researchers are still trying to figure out what causes SAD, but studies have identified some ways in which SAD affects the body and brain.
Some studies have shown that people with SAD have lower levels of the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin activity helps regulate mood, so this can explain why those with this condition develop depressive symptoms.
Vitamin D levels may also play a role, particularly in winter-onset SAD. Vitamin D is produced in the body when exposed to UV light and is believed to impact serotonin levels. Many people who live in areas with extended periods of darkness or a lack of sunny days may consider taking vitamin D supplements to help combat low levels of vitamin D. It is essential to consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
Another change in the body related to SAD is altered levels of melatonin. Melatonin helps maintain sleep-wake cycles. When sleep patterns are disrupted, energy levels are affected, which can contribute to depression symptoms.
Risk Factors and Related Conditions
Although SAD is a common disorder, many people may not be aware that they have it. Knowing risk factors and related conditions can help you understand when to seek mental health services for any depressive symptoms you’re experiencing.
In many cases, SAD begins in young adulthood, and it is more likely to affect women than men. Winter-onset SAD is more common. This condition is also more likely to develop in people with certain mental health conditions, like ADHD, substance abuse, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar II disorder. People with bipolar I disorder can also become SAD patients. You may also be more likely to develop SAD if you have a family history of the condition.
Understanding seasonal depression: Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Not everyone experiences the same symptoms of seasonal depression. For example, some people may gain weight while others may struggle with having negative thoughts or feeling hopeless. However, specific symptoms of this condition can have a significant impact on daily life. Common indicators of this type of depression can include the following:
- Low energy levels and fatigue or tiredness
- Loss of interest in activities
- A sense of hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness
- Changes in appetite, particularly an increase in cravings for carbohydrates
- Weight gain
- Excessive sleeping or difficulty sleeping
- Struggles with concentration
- Social withdrawal
If you have been experiencing these depressive symptoms for two or more consecutive winters and they tend to alleviate in the spring or summer, you may be living with SAD. However, SAD is not limited to the cold weather; some people also experience symptoms of SAD in the spring and summer.
Seasonal Patterns: Winter Onset and Summer Pattern SAD
SAD is typically tied to a specific season. It is more common for people to develop SAD in the winter, likely due to a lack of bright sunny days. The lack of sunshine can contribute to depression symptoms and leave people with this pattern feeling helpless.
While winter-onset SAD may be more common, summer-pattern SAD can also occur. Despite the longer daylight hours, people with SAD that happens in the summer months can develop depressive symptoms. Some experts believe that this may be due in part to reduced melatonin levels and the impact of long, hot summer days on sleep quality, but further research is needed to understand what contributes to these symptoms.
The symptoms of these patterns can vary. People who experience SAD in the winter may oversleep and overeat, and become withdrawn. In contrast, those who experience SAD in the summer are more likely to be restless and anxious and have a poor appetite.
Less sunlight and other potential causes of SAD (seasonal affective disorder)
There may not be a sole cause of seasonal depression, but researchers believe SAD may be linked to reduced sunlight during the fall and winter months. The lack of sunlight can disrupt your circadian rhythms and lead to an imbalance in hormones, like the brain chemical serotonin or melatonin. Serotonin activity can have a significant effect on mood, and melatonin impacts the sleep-wake cycle such as serotonin and melatonin. Other factors that may contribute to the development of SAD may include the following.
Genetics
Individuals with a family history of depression might have a higher risk of developing SAD. This could suggest that there might be a genetic component to the development of seasonal depression.
Age and life stage
While anyone can develop seasonal affective disorder, SAD primarily affects individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. This time in young adulthood often involves significant changes and transitions, which may potentially lead them to develop SAD.
Latitude in relation to the equator and significant sunlight changes
People who live farther from the equator may be more susceptible to developing SAD due to the more significant changes in daylight that they tend to experience and, in some cases, a lack of sunny days and a higher prevalence of cold weather. Because these locations experience less sunlight than areas with longer daylight hours, it may disrupt their circadian rhythms and lead to an imbalance in hormones like serotonin and melatonin, potentially contributing to seasonal depression. Low vitamin D levels may also contribute.
Personal history
Individuals with a history of depression or other mood disorders may have a higher risk of developing SAD. This could be due to a genetic predisposition or a history of negative thought patterns and behaviors, which could make them more susceptible to developing depression.
Treatment options for seasonal depression
If you suspect you might be living with seasonal depression, seeking assistance from a licensed health care or mental health provider can be crucial. They may diagnose your condition and recommend the most appropriate treatment. Some of the common treatment strategies for SAD can include those listed below.
Light therapy for winter or seasonal depression
According to the American Psychiatric Association, light therapy can be an effective treatment for SAD. Light therapy typically entails exposing yourself to bright light for a specific period of time each day. This may help control your circadian rhythm and enhance your mood. It can be particularly helpful for individuals who live in the northern climates, where there might be less sunlight. Light boxes should generally be used under the supervision of a physician to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
Medication for seasonal affective disorder
Medication may be effective in treating SAD, but it’s always best to consult your doctor regarding questions about medication and supplements. Do not take any action without consulting a qualified medical professional.
Psychotherapy or talk therapy for extreme sadness and seasonal affective disorder
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can help you better understand your feelings and behaviors and provide you with tools to manage them. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally a type of psychotherapy that can be effective in treating SAD.
Managing SAD in daily life
To manage symptoms in your daily life, focus on self-care. Forming healthy habits, like eating well-balanced meals, getting regular exercise, and staying connected to friends and family can be helpful.
Because the onset of SAD typically begins when the bright sunny days come to an end, symptom onset can be predictable for some people, it is also possible to use prevention strategies to try to prevent or lessen depression symptoms. You may not have symptoms during months with longer daylight hours, but if you mental health begins to change as the days get shorter, getting treatment at the right time can be benefiial. If you have SAD, talk to your doctor about the best timing for treatment to help manage your depressive episodes.
Lifestyle changes to improve mood and mental health of persons with seasonal depression
In addition to seeking professional help, there may be several lifestyle changes you can make to manage your seasonal depression.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise has often been shown to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression, and simple walks around the block may go a long way.
- Get outside: Spending time outdoors in natural light may improve your mood and manage your circadian rhythm.
- Focus on nutrition: Consuming a variety of vitamins and minerals may boost your mood and energy levels.
- Practice good sleep hygiene: Sleeping enough and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can alleviate depression symptoms.
- Connect with others: Social support is often crucial in managing depression, so staying connected with friends and family can be essential. Joining a support group or seeking help from a mental health professional may also be beneficial.
- Keep up with hobbies: Engaging in activities you enjoy can boost your mood, reduce symptoms of depression, and give you something to look forward to.
- Manage stress: Stress frequently worsens symptoms of depression, so it can be best to find healthy ways to manage stress, such as practicing mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.
While the above strategies may help relieve symptoms of SAD, if you’re experiencing severe depression and/or thoughts of suicide, you can seek help immediately by contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can call or text for help 24/7 in English or Spanish.
Addressing prolonged sadness and low mood in online therapy
If you are experiencing symptoms of SAD or if you are interested in having SAD diagnosed, seeking mental health services can be benefical. In online therapy, you can work with a provider who understands how to treat depression, using approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy to support patient recovery and full remission.
One significant benefit of online therapy may be that it can provide individuals with the tools to understand and manage their feelings and behaviors. This can be particularly relevant for individuals with seasonal depression, as they may experience a range of emotions and symptoms that can be difficult to cope with.
Improving mental health and getting help from any location
It can be particularly beneficial that individuals can attend online therapy from any location with an internet connection at a time that fits their schedule. When attempting to cope with SAD, it can be challenging to get ready and get out of the house to attend therapy sessions in person, so the opportunity to get help from home can be appealing.
Getting started with BetterHelp is simple:
- Take a short questionnaire. Answer a few quick questions about your goals, preferences, and the type of therapist you’d like to work with.
- Get matched quickly. In most cases, you can be matched with a licensed provider in as little as 48 hours.
- Start therapy on your terms. Schedule sessions by video, phone, or live chat, and join from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Finding the right therapist isn’t just important – it’s everything.
Find your matchEffectiveness of online therapy for improving mental health
A 2019 study examined the efficacy of online therapy in treating depression and found that “depression symptom severity was significantly reduced after the use of the multimodal digital psychotherapy intervention.” In addition, the study noted that “users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform.” Online therapy may also help with any comorbid mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder or substance use disorder.
Feeling low as the days get shorter?
Therapy can help you manage seasonal mood changes with personalized support and practical strategies.
Start therapy to track your progressTakeaway
What month does SAD start?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can be experienced any time of the year, including the spring and summer months, though it’s most associated with winter in more northern latitudes. Most cases of SAD begin when there is a reduction of sunlight in the autumn and winter, which can result in hormonal shifts as well as disrupting melatonin production.
Depending on when it’s experienced, SAD can also be called “winter depression,” summer depression,” or “the winter blues.” In many parts of the United States, the negative thoughts and depressive episodes associated with SAD begin to increase sharply following the end of Daylight Saving Time in November. A rarer form of SAD, called summer depression, does not typically occur until late spring and continues until autumn.
Is SAD the same as seasonal depression?
Seasonal depression and seasonal affective disorder are synonymous. SAD is considered a milder form of major depressive disorder or major depression that follows a seasonal pattern.
It often begins in late fall or early winter and may continue into early spring when there’s less sunlight. This change can disrupt the body’s internal clock, lower serotonin activity, and affect mood. Seasonal affective disorder symptoms may include trouble sleeping, weight gain, decreased appetite, or carbohydrate cravings.
Some people may also experience summer depression, starting in early summer and ending in fall. Whether it’s winter SAD or summer SAD, both are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as treatable mental health conditions.
Light therapy is a common treatment, often used in conjunction with other medications. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, understanding the risk factors and receiving preventive treatment early can help prevent symptoms from worsening. People with a personal or family history of eating disorders, bipolar disorder, or suicidal thoughts may have a higher risk.
If you’re often feeling depressed during a specific season, it’s important to speak to a healthcare provider. A diagnosis usually comes after symptoms start and persist for at least two years in the same pattern. Systematic reviews show that managing SAD early improves outcomes.
Is there a way to stop seasonal depression and improve mental health?
Seasonal depression, also called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), can be managed and reduced with a variety of methods. Popular approaches included bright light therapy to stimulate vitamin D production, antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and getting daily exercise whenever possible to boost endorphins.
Eating a healthy and balanced diet can make a difference, as well. Try to avoid very starchy and sweet foods, as these can further contribute to chemical imbalances and may thus exacerbate mental disorders such as SAD, anxiety, major depression, or bipolar disorder. However, it is typically helpful to avoid dietary supplements that claim to treat seasonal affective disorder directly. Many alternative treatments have little evidence supporting their use. While some compounds, such as vitamin D supplements, have some evidence supporting their effectiveness, they should only be used to treat seasonal affective disorder under the supervision of a qualified professional.
SAD often affects mood and sleep patterns, resulting in trouble sleeping. You may consider taking steps to ensure good sleep hygiene to reduce SAD symptoms, such as avoiding screens before bed and trying to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day.
Sometimes, the help of a doctor or mental health provider may be needed to alleviate and treat SAD. A qualified medical or mental health professional must also diagnose seasonal affective disorder. Working with a qualified professional is likely the most effective way to address the mood changes associated with SAD. They can perform a thorough evaluation to investigate other factors that may be involved, such as other mental health conditions.
Following an evaluation, a professional can provide a treatment plan that addresses the factors that drive your SAD symptoms. They might recommend psychotherapy (also called talk therapy), lifestyle changes, medications, or coping skills likely to benefit you. They might also recommend other treatments, such as nutritional supplements or light box therapy, which uses a very bright light to encourage vitamin D production.
Is seasonal depression a type of anxiety, and what causes it?
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, seasonal depression is considered a depressive disorder or mood disorder, not an anxiety disorder, although symptoms of anxiety may be experienced during SAD episodes.
Potential causes of seasonal depression
Doctors and scientists still do not know the exact cause of seasonal depression. Believed factors include reduced sunlight levels, a family history of SAD or other depressive disorders, disruptions to the circadian rhythm as seasons change, serotonin levels, and melatonin levels. If you have other mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder, you are also more likely to experience SAD.
One of the primary reasons SAD occurs is thought to be a disruption of the circadian rhythm as seasonal patterns progress. Less daylight triggers the release of a sleep-related hormone earlier in the day, which may disrupt sleep patterns and prevent you from getting enough sleep. Like other mood disorders, such as clinical depression, getting adequate sleep, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular physical activity are all considered necessary to begin functioning properly. In many cases, SAD treated through increased self-care and lifestyle changes can produce improvement on par with other, more intensive treatments.
How long does SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, last?
The duration and severity of SAD depends on factors such as the individual’s age, location (living far from the equator), and levels of brain chemicals and vitamin D. Typically, though, SAD is experienced to varying degrees for months at a time until the seasons shift and may repeat in a seasonal pattern.
If you experience summer SAD, symptoms will likely begin in early Summer and begin to dissipate as Fall approaches. Winter SAD symptoms, on the other hand, begin during late Fall or early Winter and dissolve with the onset of Spring and increased sunlight.
How can you treat seasonal depression in the winter?
Treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter season is similar to how other mood disorders are treated throughout the year. It may be treated through approaches such as light therapy, talk therapy, lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination. Commonly, treatment begins by initiating or improving self-care routines.
The National Institute of Mental Health indicates that good self-care is essential to prevent depressive episodes and other adverse feelings associated with mood disorders. Good self-care generally consists of getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular physical activity. Self-care is not always as easy to maintain during the winter. There is typically less time for outdoor activities, sleep disturbances are common, and increased carbohydrate cravings may make it harder to maintain a healthy diet.
Regardless of the specific season, it is often helpful to work with qualified professionals when managing your SAD. The common symptoms of SAD, such as feeling sad, a decreased sex drive, and reduced motivation, can also occur with other disorders. If you seek treatment from a professional, they can likely evaluate underlying factors and recommend strategies that are likely to succeed.
What is the best medication for seasonal depression or SAD?
In some cases, a doctor may recommend antidepressant medications for SAD, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which help increase serotonin activity in the brain. These are also used for major depressive disorder. Doctors may suggest light therapy to replace sunlight and improve mood. It can also help people who feel the winter blues or a milder form of depression during cold months.
If there’s a vitamin D deficiency, your doctor might recommend supplements. Some people may notice weight gain, while others may have weight loss or even suicidal thoughts. SAD can also show up in people with bipolar disorder. Be sure to consult with a medical professional regarding medication.
Who is most at risk for seasonal depression?
Seasonal affective disorder is listed as a mood disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Like other mood disorders, those who are isolated, lack coping skills, or are diagnosed with other mental health concerns, like substance abuse, are significantly more likely to develop SAD. Women are also at a higher risk of developing the condition than men. As one might expect, SAD tends to be restricted to geographical regions that experience shorter daylight hours in the winter; those in Alaska are less likely to be diagnosed than those in the Caribbean. Finally, SAD likely has a genetic component, and a relative with SAD or any other mental disorder raises the risk.
Does taking vitamin D help with seasonal depression?
There is some evidence to suggest that taking vitamin D can reduce the severity of seasonal depression symptoms. However, no evidence indicates vitamin D is useful as a standalone treatment. If vitamin D or any other supplement is used to treat seasonal depression, it should be done under the supervision of a medical professional and as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. A medical professional can order a blood test to determine if vitamin D would be appropriate.
What month is seasonal depression the worst in?
Seasonal depression tends to begin at about the same time each year. Typically, symptoms start in the early days of winter, when daylight begins to shorten. However, the severity of symptoms may vary from person to person. Many people report the most severe impacts during the darkest part of Winter, which begin to alleviate around mid-February to mid-March, depending on the region.
This condition is also called the winter blues, though it can be more serious for some than the name suggests. It may include feeling depressed, tired, or having changes in appetite resulting in weight loss. Other factors, such as access to social interactions, self-care routines, and coping skills, likely considerably modify the severity of symptoms. Treatments like light therapy can help improve mood by replicating natural sunlight. People with other conditions like bipolar disorder may also feel seasonal changes more intensely.
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