How to head off seasonal depression
The end of daylight saving time can mark the start of seasonal affective disorder
In Chicago, the sun rose on Friday to reveal icicles festooning garage gutters, trees lined with white and sunlight sparkling on snow-covered roofs. We barely had time to cosy up with hot cider and pumpkin baked goods, when suddenly ... winter. It’s depressing, right?
In fact, yes it is.
Seasonal affective disorder, and the slightly less debilitating version, which psychologists call the winter blues, are forms of depression that are tied to the winter season. An estimated 10 million Americans struggle with full-blown SAD, and another 10 per cent to 20 per cent are believed to suffer from less severe winter mood changes. Women are affected more often than men. The symptoms mirror those of any depression, but they show up year after year as the seasons shift toward winter.
But will the first snowfall trigger the onset of those symptoms? Another event that occurred this weekend — the annual end of daylight saving time — could have a bigger impact. “Snowfall presents an interesting situation,” says Georgetown University professor of psychiatry Norman Rosenthal, “because it is sometimes accompanied by very cold weather, which keeps people indoors. But if people get out into the snow and walk about, you can get a dazzling amount of light reflecting off the snow. And the combination of light and exercise is a very good combination for people with SAD.”
Research strongly suggests that it is the light, not the cold, that is the key to seasonal depression. Light therapy has been prescribed for SAD patients for years, and a 2018 study from Brown University neuroscientists found evidence of a pathway in the brain linking photo-sensitive cells in the retina with areas of the brain that control mood. “People need to understand the key importance of a lack of light,” says Rosenthal, who wrote “Winter Blues” a guidebook for treating seasonal depression.
Winter’s shorter days already deprive the brain of light, but the end of daylight saving time can compound that effect for people already beginning to feel the onset of SAD, Rosenthal says.
And, in spite of the temptation to “fall back” when daylight saving time ends, dig yourself out from under those covers and treat your retinas to some sunlight. “Sleeping in,” Rosenthal says, “is very bad for people with the winter blues.”