The science behind the winter blues

During the winter months, many people suffer from what is colloquially called "the winter blues" — shifts in mood, behavior, sleeping and eating patterns that, in more serious cases, can be diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or weather-induced depression.

The cold, dark winter weather can have a profound effect on emotional health, according to Daniel Burston, the chair of Duquesne's psychology department.

Emotional changes are common in the winter: four to six percent of American adults suffer from SAD, and 10 to 20 percent suffer from a mild form of winter-onset depression, according to FamilyDoctor.org. The disorder is most common in northern parts of the country and usually manifests itself after the age of 20, according to the website.

SAD can manifest itself in moodiness, depression and thoughts of suicide, Burston said.

The effects of SAD, as well as milder changes in mood, appetite, motivation and sleep patterns, can all be blamed on the decreased amount of sunlight in the winter months.

"As a species, we require a great deal of sunlight to keep our metabolisms in balance," Burston said.

Vitamin D, which the body absorbs from natural light, is essential keeping the body functioning healthily. Burston suggests that people expose themselves to a minimum of 30 minutes of sunlight per day.

Sunlight can have an even bigger impact on a person's emotions, according to psychology professor Lori Koelsch.

"Light affects brain chemistry and regulates things," Koelsch said.

Lack of light is such a major part of SAD that treatment often involves light-box therapy, or daily exposure to a lamp that omits full spectrum light, mimicking natural sunlight.

Koelsch said minor mood changes during the winter months do not signify that someone is suffering from SAD. To warrant a diagnosis, the emotional changes must disrupt their daily activities in a significant way, such as preventing them from going to work or attending classes.

"It's not problematic unless it affects someone's life," Koelsch said.

Koelsch advises individuals who experience milder winter mood changes to regulate their sleeping schedules and monitor their food intake, as changes in both indicate emotional unrest.

Sophomore biology major Katie Siegfried said she notices changes in her friends' moods as well as the general atmosphere on campus during the winter.

"There's more moping around," Siegfried said. "[People] are overall not as happy as on a beautiful spring day."

Siegfried said she has noticed that she, like her friends, feels more fatigued in the winter than during the spring or summer.

For many people, natural sleep schedules are determined by light patterns, and altering those schedules also causes emotional turbulence.

Senior biology major Marcus Allen Banks said the cold weather especially affects the way he feels.

"The weather's so extreme. You feel like you're caged in all the time," he said.    

Banks said he is more tired, serious and unwilling to engage in as many social activities in the winter as compared to the rest of the year.

"You can definitely sense something's different," he said.

Freshman physical therapy major Alexis Buszko agreed.

"When it's winter, everyone's rushing to get into a building. You feel alone. You can't be outside," Buszko said.

Those with more extreme symptoms that affect their daily lives who believe they may be suffering from SAD can seek help at the Duquesne Counseling Center in the Student Union or in the Psychology Clinic in Rockwell Hall.