If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can reach out to a school counselor or contact:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration- 1-800-662-Help(4357)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
New York Crisis Line: Text Hello to 741741
Shorter days, darker hours, colder temperatures. These factors tend to affect everyone during the winter months. Many people feel depressed, sad or unmotivated in the winter. Unfortunately, this is very common for millions of people. So, what is it? This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD – but more commonly known as winter depression.
Countless people experience SAD, but it is most common in young adults, women, and in the north. Some symptoms of SAD include: feeling “empty” most days, lack of interest in hobbies or activities, difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless or irritable, and physical pain without a cause. Winter SAD also has specific symptoms, such as overeating, oversleeping, and social withdrawal.
“People experience similar signs as depression, such as losing interest in things they used to enjoy, a decline in attendance, a decrease in engagement, and changes in eating and sleeping,” said Mr. Lowney, the C house psychologist.
However, SAD does not only affect people in the winter. Some people experience summer depression, but this is less common. Common symptoms for Summer SAD are trouble sleeping, poor appetite, restlessness, anxiety, and aggressive behavior.
“Winter does not affect my morning, I actually am more awake in the winter than the summer,” said James McCormick, senior.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by less sunlight and shorter days. Many professionals tend to think that this is linked to a change in chemicals in the brain. During the winter, the sun sets much earlier, and it gets dark at around 4 to 5 p.m. The darker it is, the more melatonin is made in the brain, which causes sleepiness and lack of motivation.
SAD affects students’ emotions, sleep schedules, eating habits, and much more. Many students struggle with concentration and motivation during the winter. Personally, it takes a lot to wake up in the morning because of the dark and the cold weather, and I find it hard to focus on my schoolwork and am counting down the hours to go back home. Many other students feel the same.
“It definitely affects both my motivation and focus. School days drag and I often find it hard to complete my work until I get home in a quiet space, and even then it’s hard to finish,” said Katie Chiose, junior.
Seasonal Affective Disorder also affects students’ social skills and academic performances. Teachers notice a decline in participation and fewer students turning in work, as well as less students interacting with each other. This also ties in with lack of motivation, because if students are unmotivated, they are less likely to finish their schoolwork or reach out to a friend.
“Some people use it as a shield to get work done, and some people use it as a shield to not do anything,” said Mrs. Belles, physics teacher.
According to the National Institutes of Health, around 1.7 percent to 5.5 percent of people aged 9 to 19 experience SAD.
“Kids get depression too. We’re tired, we’re stressed, we’re unmotivated, we’re not happy,” said Liam Lowe, a freshman at Warwick Valley High School.
Not only does SAD affect students, but it affects teachers as well. Several teachers also struggle with seasonal depression during the winter time, also having issues with their motivation and tiredness. Teachers are affected in almost every way that students are affected with SAD.
“Many students tend to forget that we’re not robots who plug in at the end of the day, we’re humans. If you are experiencing it, I could too,” said Mrs. Barbulean, English teacher.
It’s important to bring awareness to this situation. Many believe Seasonal Affective Disorder is not talked about much among students or staff. However, there are ways to get help if you or someone you know is struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
The most notable way to help is to talk to people you trust. Whether it’s a friend, family member, teacher, or someone else, talking to people is important. They can connect you with the right support you need to improve. If conditions are more serious, other ways to help are light therapy, medication, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Below is advice from students and teachers for people struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder.
If you are struggling, know you’re not alone. There are plenty of resources and people to talk to so you can get the help you need.
If you’d like more infromation about Seasonal Affective Disorder, review the sources used for this article below.
Rates of seasonal affective disorder in children and adolescents
