Breaking-Down the Winter Blues: A Psychologist’s Take on Seasonal Affective Disorder in Young People in the PNW

From reviewing my past blog posts, I became aware that most of my content thus far has relied on recommendations from my subjective winter coping strategies. Most of these include encouraging physical activity to fight symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). However, I felt it is vital to include a professional opinion about the prevalence of SAD in the PNW to build credibility surrounding my own interpretation of winter wellness. I was fortunate enough to speak to Dr. Sharon Gavora, a practicing psychologist in Vancouver, Washington; a nearby suburb of Portland, Oregon. 

Young adults and families are Gavora’s key patient groups and her work focuses on mental illness and treatment strategies. She explained that depression diagnoses are common in her line of work, however, SAD is slightly more nuanced. “Sometimes it’s hard to find the difference between [SAD] and depression”. However, it is important to note that it is still likely widespread, just difficult to specifically pinpoint. 

Gavora’s patient demographics significantly add to this challenge “Within children and families, parents are not noticing the reciprocal nature of it that adults would notice in themselves”. It is evident that the ability to identify SAD is contingent with a patient’s experience through many seasons. Younger people do not have as many winters under their belt as adults and because of that it may not be possible to specifically diagnose SAD in younger demographics. 

Similarly to my own remedy, Gavora recommends consistent physical activity to reduce symptoms of SAD. She also noted that light therapy for no more than thirty minutes per session can help as well. She recognizes the utility of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), however they do pose a drawback when considering the cyclic nature of SAD. This is because during spring and summer months when symptoms disappear, people may feel inclined to stop taking their medication making it more complicated to get back on SSRIs when the winter begins again. 

Historically, young people are more active than older demographics and because of that they have held some resilience to SAD. However, the status quo after the pandemic and the emerging age of technology has presented negative blowback to the psyches of modern youth. “We have seen a real uptick in at least depressive symptomatology that may mimic or mask seasonal affective disorder”. Since COVID young people have spent more time in front of screens and activity levels are on the decline. 

During this interview I grew concerned about college students especially. We are living around the time in our lives when SAD begins to manifest itself. This might be difficult or overwhelming to notice immediately. Also during cold months we are kept indoors for long hours most days of the week to complete school work. The insight from Gavora makes it all the more evident for college students to prioritize their own mental health during the winter to thrive in our multifaceted lifestyles.