University Health Services at the University of Wisconsin kicked off their first Thrive Workshop of the semester on Feb. 3, with a deep dive into seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This workshop was titled “Beating the Winter Blues: Strategies for Navigating Seasonal Depression & Loneliness.”
The first part of the online workshop focused on explaining the basic principles behind seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a form of depression brought about by seasonal changes, mostly in the fall and winter, that follows a spectrum of severity, according to associate professor in the University of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar.
“Approximately 5% of adults in the U.S. have been estimated to experience seasonal affective disorder, and really it’s up to 15-20% in the northern states,” Bhatnagar said.
SAD can begin at any age, but most commonly begins at ages 18-30, and has been linked to changes in brain activity caused by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in the winter months. This causes people to experience a circadian rhythm shift that modern life cannot accommodate, Bhatnagar said.
Once the sky tends to darken, light processed by the retina into the hypothalamus produces melatonin, a hormone that helps the body maintain its sleep-wake cycle, leading to excess tiredness and less energy in combination with serotonin and vitamin D deficiencies in the winter, according to Bhatnagar.
The second part of the event focused on how college students’ mental health faces additional challenges in the winter months. Students experience dips in both energy and motivation when academic stressors are at their peak, University Health Services psychologist Matthew Rozzi said.
“Seasonal affective disorder often comes really just as the academic calendar reaches one of its most demanding times,” Rozzi said. “Shorter days, colder weather … and reduced sunlight can create that dip in energy and motivation, right when you really need it, right when finals and projects and deadlines are starting to pile up.”
Temptations to skip class, procrastination, increases in substance use and dropping grades are a few behavioral warning signs to look out for. Difficulty falling asleep or waking up, changes in appetite, including binge eating or skipping meals, losing interest in enjoyable activities and irritability are a few other symptoms to keep in mind when thinking about SAD, Rozzi said.
Options such as light therapy, positive behavioral changes in sleep habits or nutrition, along with counseling, taking vitamin D daily, socializing, exercise, self-care and medication are all ways to find relief when dealing with SAD, according to Bhatnagar.
Bhatnagar and Rozzi concluded the workshop by sharing some resources through UHS, including Let’s Talk, a walk-in support and consultation program, the Connecting Badgers podcast and various other counseling services, such as individual and couples counseling and training in stress management, sleep and mindfulness.