The cold, dark days of winter can cause some of us to feel less social or sad, but for others, it can lead to seasonal depression. The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder are similar to those of normal depression, but they occur repetitively at a specific time of year. While it’s often diagnosed in adults, teens can also experience seasonal depression, marked by mood changes, low energy, and a loss of interest in activities. If you notice your teen’s mood and behaviour shift during the fall and winter months, they could be dealing with SAD. Here’s how to spot seasonal affective disorder in teens and 7 tips to help.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes based on seasonal changes, and typically occurs in the fall and winter months when there’s less sunlight. It usually improves with the arrival of spring, although some people experience SAD during spring and summer. SAD is more than just the winter blues. It’s classified as a major depressive disorder that seriously affects those who have it. While it’s commonly diagnosed in adults, children and teens can also experience SAD.
Common symptoms of SAD in teens include changes in sleep patterns, irritability, low energy, and changes in appetite. The exact cause of seasonal depression isn’t known, however some factors that may come into play are your circadian rhythm (decrease in sunlight may affect your internal clock), a drop in serotonin levels, and a disruption of melatonin (which plays a role in sleep and mood).
7 Signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder in Teens
- Mood changes: may feel sad, irritable or hopeless
- Negative thinking: more self-critical and sensitive to criticism
- Changes in sleep: sleeping more than usual or having trouble waking up
- Changes in appetite or weight: could lose their appetite, overeat, or binge unhealthy foods
- Low energy: tired; lack of motivation to do things
- Loss of interest in activities: don’t enjoy things they usually like to do, or lose interest in friends and social activities
- Trouble concentrating: can affect schoolwork and grades
7 Ways to Manage Seasonal Affective Disorder in Teens
1. Talk to Your Teen
Be attentive to any changes in mood, sleep or eating patterns, and interest in normal activities and friends. It’s important to create a safe space where your child feels comfortable coming to you with their feelings and concerns. The more open they’re able to be with you, the better you’ll be able to understand what they’re going through and be able to help them. If you figure out that they have SAD, you can help them understand that it’s normal and treatable and work on ways to manage it together.
2. Prioritize Natural Light Exposure
Have your teen spend more time outside during the daylight hours. This can help mitigate SAD symptoms. Make sure they take a daily walk or do other winter activities like cross country skiing, snowboarding, or skating. Have the curtains and blinds in your home open during the day so there’s lots of natural daylight coming into your home. Even when it’s a cloudy day outside, natural light exposure is beneficial.
3. Try Light Therapy
Light therapy should be looked at as a supplementary treatment to natural light exposure. Light therapy uses a special type of light that mimics natural sunlight. The light is thought to change brain chemicals that affect mood, reducing melatonin and increasing serotonin. A light box is typically placed on a tabletop or desk and you sit in front of it for 30-45 minutes a day, typically in the morning. Consult your child’s doctor to determine the right duration and intensity for your teen.
4. Establish Consistent Sleep Patterns
Quality sleep is super important for SAD management and mental health in general. Teens should be getting about 9.5 hours of sleep a night. Help your teen maintain consistent sleep patterns by creating a relaxing bedtime routine with a regular sleep and wake schedule (including weekends). Help them find calming things to do each night that will prepare their bodies for sleep. This could be deep breathing, stretching, journaling, or taking a warm bath. Put electronic devices away at least one hour before bedtime as the light from screens messes with the brain’s ability to sleep. Also ensure that any stimulating or stressful activities like homework and video games are done outside of the bedroom and especially out of the bed.
5. Less Time on Social Media
Social media can make anxiety and depression symptoms worse. It can lead to low self-esteem, feeling left out, and a lack of in-person social skills. Teens may also experience cyberbullying and online harassment, which can seriously affect their mental health. On top of this, going on social media right before bed can keep your teen more alert and lead to inadequate sleep. Some things you can do to limit your teen’s social media habits are to create “tech-free” zones in the home, including the bedroom and dinner table, use parental controls to block harmful content and set time limits, and have them put their devices away an hour before bed, leaving them outside of the bedroom until morning. Encouraging hobbies and activities will also decrease the time they have to spend on social media.
6. Talk Therapy
If your teen is really struggling with depressive thoughts and feelings, consider getting them into therapy. A therapist can help ease feelings of isolation and loneliness and help them work through their emotions. They can also teach your teen new ways of thinking and behaving and ways to change habits that contribute to depression. A therapist may also be able to suggest a medication such as an antidepressant that can be prescribed by a doctor to help balance chemicals in the brain.
7. Exercise and Proper Nutrition
Regular exercise is extremely important for teens to improve mood and decrease feelings of depression. Involve your teen in activities they enjoy, whether it’s track, dance, sports, or swimming. Proper nutrition is also important. Your teen may want to eat foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar, but although these foods may make them feel better in the moment, they’ll make them feel worse over time. Make sure they’re drinking lots of water, and eating a balanced diet with plenty of protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
SAD can impact a teen’s well-being and daily functioning. Try these tips to help them manage their symptoms.
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