Seasonal depression
By Lillian Battey
Fall is here, and the days are becoming shorter. As they do, some people experience what is called “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 5-10% of adults in the United States experience seasonal affective disorder each year. This translates to around 10 million people. Some people experience it in the winter months, while others experience it in the summer months. However, it is most common in the winter months.
How Do You First Recognize SAD?
“Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, generally occurring in the fall and winter when there is a reduction in daylight hours,” said Cindy Morris Anderson, Educational Facilitator at TNW and Mental Health Therapist,. First, you have to be diagnosed with depression and second? must also have a seasonal pattern related to your symptoms. “There must be a season in which full remission (absence of symptoms) occurs at a specific time of the year, such as when symptoms subside during the spring. This seasonal depression must have occurred for at least 2 years during the same season without other explanations,” says Cindy.
How is SAD Diagnosed?
SAD and depression can have very similar symptoms. “ The key component of SAD is that pattern of seasonal depression with a season of full or nearly full remission, with no other explanation for the seasonal component,” said Cindy.
Winter pattern SAD
Overeating, with cravings for carbohydrates,
Social withdrawal
Oversleeping, also known as hypersomnia
Summer pattern SAD
Trouble sleeping, also known as insomnia
Poor appetite
Anxiety
Violent or aggressive behavior
Restlessness and agitation
How is SAD Treated?
Light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD or vitamin D. This treatment is beneficial because SAD typically occurs during the winter months, when daylight hours are shorter. Most people with SAD go to work before the sun comes up and come home after the sun goes down. Having plants with happy lights (happy lights are lights that act like the sun for plants for when the days are shorter) is a good treatment. There are other treatments for SAD, like psychotherapy and Antidepressant medication.
How Bipolar Disorder is Related to SAD
People with bipolar disorder are at increased risk of SAD. Some people with bipolar disorder may experience episodes of mania in a specific season. Spring and summer can bring symptoms of mania, a less intense form of mania also known as hypomania, anxiety, agitation, and irritability. They may also experience depression during the fall and winter months.
Works Cited
Watkins, Andy, and Nicole Washington. “Bipolar Disorder Changes in Winter and Summer.” Healthline, 21 September 2022, https://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/seasonal-impact-bipolar-disorder . Accessed 8 October 2025
“Seasonal Affective Disorder - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).” National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder#part_6693 . Accessed 8 October 2025.
“Steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year-Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - Symptoms & causes.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651 . Accessed 8 October 2025.