Winter is coming: coping with seasonal depression

As winter approaches, the topic of seasonal affective disorder is becoming more widespread. In particular, the most difficult months for SAD people tend to be January and February. In the United States, 5% of adults suffer from SAD, and this disorder lasts about 40% of the year.

According to Professor William Hudenko of Psychology, SAD is a subtype of major depressive disorder. What makes it unique is the timing of the onset of the disorder — and this onset is “usually in darker light, during the months of winter,” Hudenko said.

Seasonal changes and reduced daylight hours cause changes in people’s body clocks, resulting in disruptions to their daily schedules. SAD usually begins in early adulthood and is more common in women than in men, and in women who have already been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.

Chandini Peddanna ’25 said he is already aware of the weather that affects both social and academic motivations in the fall semester.

“When I wake up and clear up, [I feel that] Today will be a good day, but if it’s dark, I [won’t] I want to go to class and play with my friends, “Pedanna said. “”[SAD] Stop going to class. It stops you from going to the party. It prevents you from being happy. “

According to Fudenko, people will not be diagnosed with SAD unless there are at least two episodes of depression. This is to ensure that a person’s symptoms really deserve a diagnosis of seasonal depression, and instead respond to another stressor that occurred during the winter months.

When asked about the effects of a pandemic on seasonal depression, Fudenko said that more people could be diagnosed with seasonal depression because the pandemic “generally had a significant impact on depression.” Said to increase. Most of this, according to Fudenko, is due to the social isolation and economic constraints caused by the pandemic.

SAD is particularly prevalent “in the northern regions of the United States, like here in Dartmouth,” Hudenko said. Regarding treatment options, he added, much research has been done on the use of lightboxes and general sun exposure to treat seasonal depression.

Originally from New Jersey, Andrew Xu ’25 prepares for his first winter semester in Dartmouth by starting to think about how changes in the weather will affect him.

“This winter is a bit tougher than my hometown, so I think it’s a little tougher this year, so it’s definitely going to be an adjustment period,” said Xu.

In particular, Dartmouth students can be diagnosed with SAD because they are college students as well as in the northern United States. The lack of regular routines, characterized by studying and socializing late into the night, can lead many students to fall asleep in the absence of morning lessons, an early morning essential to the fight against SAD. Leads to a reduction in vitamin D exposure.

As for what to do if a Dartmouth student suffers from seasonal depression, Fudenko recommends going out and “being a little more in the sun.” In addition, students generally need to make sure they remain active, as depression “exercise is a very good protective factor”.

For example, Pedanna looks forward to not only “sledding and tubing” but also other winter activities that will help you best deal with SAD.

According to Fudenko, another way to deal with SAD is to “maintain connections and relationships with people,” potentially working with a psychotherapist or taking medication. There are additional resources available to Dartmouth students through Dick’s House. Students can rent a solar lamp, such as by contacting a counseling center.

“If you have [affect me], I know there are a lot of resources on campus to help me, and I can always go to friends or talk to people from home [to cope]”Xu said.