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The Effect of Winter on Depression

Winter isn't as vibrant as the pastels of spring or the vibrant colors of summer and fall. But it isn't just the slush and potholes that get us down in the winter months. It is the level of sunlight available to us. Just as all living things need sunlight, people need it for psychological health.

  1. Depression

    • Depression, also called major depression or clinical depression, is a mental illness characterized by persistent and life-altering low mood, loss of interest in usual activities, sleep disturbances and other symptoms such as changes in appetite and irritability. Depression can be caused by traumatic events, genetic predisposition and other factors. According to the Mayo Clinic, depression involves abnormal levels of important brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, responsible for controlling mood.

    Sunlight and Serotonin

    • Higher levels of the brain chemical serotonin equate to a better mood. The less serotonin there is, the lower a person's mood will be. Sunlight and serotonin have the same relationship. The more sunlight there is, according to Mayo Clinic, the better the serotonin production in the brain will be. During the winter months, sunlight is available for fewer hours of the day in most places. Most people have to work indoors and don't get a lot of chances to go outside, making their situation particularly difficult in the winter when the sun sets early.

    Seasons and Depression

    • Changes in the season can contribute to depression in other physical ways. During the colder months with fewer hours of sunlight, a person's biological clock, or sleep regulation, is interrupted, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can cause people to feel sleepy during the fall and winter, possibly leading to symptoms of depression. Sunlight can also affect levels of the hormone melatonin, further contributing to low energy levels and a high need for sleep.

    Winter and Depression

    • Even if a person does not have clinical depression, the winter months can still get him feeling down. If someone is diagnosed with depression, symptoms may worsen in the winter. But some people have a specific form of depression that causes them to be particularly sensitive to changes in sunlight, called seasonal affective disorder, also known as winter depression. Seasonal affective disorder involves a few different symptoms than major depression, according to the Cleveland Clinic, including more need for sleep, very low energy levels, even "extreme fatigue," cravings for carbohydrates and wanting to be alone. Seasonal affective disorder involves depression with an annual, predictable onset, usually beginning in the winter and ending in the spring or summer. A relatively uncommon form of seasonal affective disorder called summer depression takes place in the summer.

    Considerations

    • Winter can certainly make depression more likely to worsen, but lack of sunlight during any time of the year will result in lower serotonin levels and, possibly, depression symptoms. It is important for people with depression, winter and summer depression and people with no depression symptoms to get adequate sunlight at all times of the year or use indoor sun lamps to supplement their sun intake.

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